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Taylor Swift hints at Eras Tour setlist changes after ‘TTPD’ album release

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Fans theorize that Taylor Swift is changing her Eras Tour setlist to include songs from her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Swift shared a black-and-white video collage of her practicing for the upcoming leg of her tour and added her new single, “Fortnight,” in the background to YouTube Shorts on Thursday.

The Grammy winner, 34, included several snippets of her wearing different athleisure outfits while holding a microphone, singing and dancing on different parts of the stage.

The “Cruel Summer” songstress even featured a snap of her playing her acoustic guitar and sitting at her signature mossy piano.

However, some eagle-eyed fans noticed a few differences in some of the clips from what she’s done in her past shows –– such as her background dancers wearing black top hats and canes.

Swift also appeared to be leaning on a silver pole that seemed to have a white “TTPD” sign hanging on the side of it. Fans additionally pointed out her white guitar and matching microphone.

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“A fortnight til Paris 🤍 Brought to you by YouTube Shorts #ForAFortnightChallenge,” she captioned the video on Thursday.

Swift will resume her tour in Paris in two weeks –– aka a fortnight –– on May 9.

Several fans flooded the comments pointing out the changes and wrote about how convinced they are she’ll be swapping some songs for “TTPD” hits.

The cover of "The Tortured Poets Department"

“Won’t be surprised if she actually does change the setlist a little bit,” one user wrote.

“she’s going to add TTPD songs to the setlist!!” another person commented.

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“SHE’S PROB GONNA ADD TTPD!!!!!” someone exclaimed.

“TTPD on the setlist😭I will pass out,” another person added.

Swift has not released the setlist for her upcoming shows and she did not share the setlist before she kicked off the tour in Arizona in March 2023.

The “Shake it Off” songstress previously sang 44 songs on every show and swapped out two songs each concert that were acoustic “surprise songs” not included in the same setlist.

After Paris, Swift will hit several European countries, including Sweden, Spain and Portugal, before wrapping up in London in August.

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The band, I Am They, just announced that their fall tour will be their final tour. The band originally came together in 2008 for a one night worship event at a church in Nevada. That one night led to a full time ministry of writing music and touring as a band. Now as that season is coming to an end, listen to what they had to say:

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5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation

Whether she's breaking records or breaking Ticketmaster, Taylor Swift has proven time and again that she's one of the most powerful figures in modern music — and the Eras Tour is a manifestation of that.

Since the moment Taylor Swift announced the Eras Tour, there was no denying that it was going to be the tour of the year. From playing impressive two- and three-night stands at stadiums across the country to crashing Ticketmaster upon just the presale, the Eras Tour was making headlines before it even began.

But after witnessing it in person, it's clear that Swift is not just delivering the tour of the year — it's the tour of her generation.

Sure, Beyoncé fans can't wait for her tour this summer; Harry Styles is about to embark on the final leg of his highly successful Love On Tour trek; BLACKPINK sold out stadiums around the country too. Yet, it's hard to imagine that any other tour this year will have a cultural impact as big as the Eras Tour — something that's wildly apparent whether or not you were there.

Even before Swift hit the stage for her first night at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on May 5, her influence was felt. Practically every fan of the 70,000 in attendance (a record for the venue — more on that later) was wearing some sort of reference to their favorite Swift era: a beloved lyric, or an iconic performance or music video look. While that's not necessarily a new trend in the Swiftie world, seeing all 10 of her eras represented throughout a stadium-sized crowd was equal parts meaningful and remarkable.

As someone who has been to hundreds of tours and most of Swift's — including the Reputation Tour, which I naively referred to as " the peak of her career " — I didn't think this one would feel much different than a typical stadium show. But even when Swift was just a few songs in of her impressive three-and-a-half hour set, a feeling came over me like I wasn't just watching one of music's greats — I was part of music history.

Below, here are five reasons why the Eras Tour will go down as one of the most iconic of Swift's generation.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

It's Treated Like A Holiday

In the week leading up to the shows and over the weekend, Nashville was abundant with special events in Swift's honor. From Taylor-themed trivia nights to pre- and post-show dance parties to wine lists transformed into "eras," practically every place you went was commemorating her return (she last performed in Nashville in 2018).

While it's unclear whether this kind of takeover is happening in every city — after all, she does consider Nashville a hometown, as she said on stage — it's rare to see an artist have such a ripple effect by simply just coming to town.

During her May 5 show, Swift added to the excitement by sharing the highly anticipated news that Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was coming on July 7. Upon the announcement, three of Nashville's monuments — the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, the Tennessee State Capitol and the Alliance Bernstein building downtown — were illuminated in purple , the album's color.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on July 7th 😱 pic.twitter.com/gzRKvZrytw — Nissan Stadium (@NissanStadium) May 6, 2023

It's Breaking Records Left And Right

Though Swift is no stranger to breaking records , she continues to do so with the Eras Tour. After setting the all-time attendance record at Nissan Stadium on night one of her Nashville run, Swift topped herself (something has become accustomed to on the charts as well) with another attendance record on night two.

And despite the controversial ticketing frenzy the tour caused, Swift also broke a Ticketmaster record with more than 2.4 million tickets sold — the most by an artist in a single day — in the presale alone. If Swift announces an international leg of the tour, Pollstar projects that the Eras Tour could surpass $1 billion, which would add yet another first to her ever-growing list.

Take a bow, Swifties! Y’all just set the all-time Nissan Stadium concert attendance record for a SECOND STRAIGHT NIGHT! 😍 #TSErasTourNashville pic.twitter.com/ZxBFlXCtqi — Nissan Stadium (@NissanStadium) May 7, 2023

It's Spawned Parking Lot Parties

As if history-making attendance and record-breaking ticket sales aren't indication enough of Swift's power, the Eras Tour is so highly in-demand that fans are sitting outside of the venue to still be part of the show (as some fans have cleverly called it, "Taylorgating"). Fans crowded barricades and camped out in the parking lot of Nissan Stadium, ready to watch (and scream-sing along with) Swift on the big screen — something that has seemingly been happening in every city.

@lizabethvictor Dancing right there in the middle of the parking lot :’) @taylorswift @taylornation #tampatstheerastour #theerastour #taylorswift #taylorsversion #fearless ♬ original sound - elizabeth victor

View this post on Instagram A post shared by •Richa|Parvez• (@contentalison)

It Can't Be Stopped By The Elements

Adding to the magnitude of the Eras Tour, Swift performs 45 songs across three and a half hours. And to make her last night in Nashville even more momentous, she did almost all of that in pouring rain.

Swift didn't get to take the stage until after 10 p.m. on May 7 because of storms in the area (she normally goes on around 7:50 local time), but that didn't mean she'd be shortening her set. Carrying on until after 1:30 a.m. — even through the "element of slippiness happening," as she joked — Swift made it clear that she's determined to give each show her all regardless of the weather.

Taylor having problems from the rain lol #TSErasTourNashville #TSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/iH8pjrW7PP — Lindѕєy ✨NASHVILLE 5/5 & 5/7✨ (@lindzz_21) May 8, 2023

It's Simply A Feel-Good Celebration

Perhaps it was the five-year gap between the last time she toured. Perhaps it was the four new albums of material. Perhaps it was the celebratory nature of the show. Whatever inspired the vibe of the Eras Tour, I've never seen Taylor Swift or her fans so alive. The passion was tangible, the energy was magnetic.

Though Swift has always been known as an artist with a very loyal following, it was still mind-blowing to hear 70,000 people belt out every word for three hours straight. There aren't many artists whose catalogs are as equally beloved as they are extensive, especially one who hasn't even seen her 34th birthday. No matter how many albums and tours are in Swift's future, the Eras Tour captures a special moment in time — and celebrates a legend in her prime.

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Taylor Swift performs with Stevie Nicks at the 2010 GRAMMYs

Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

11 Artists Who Influenced Taylor Swift: Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Tim McGraw & More

From Paul McCartney to Paramore, Emily Dickinson and even "Game of Thrones," read on for some of the major influences Taylor Swift has referenced throughout her GRAMMY-winning career.

As expected, much buzz followed the release of Taylor Swift 's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , on April 19. Fans and critics alike have devoured the sprawling double album’s 31 tracks, unpacking her reflections from "a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time" in search of Easter eggs, their new favorite lyrics and references to famous faces (both within the pop supernova’s closely guarded orbit and the historical record).

Shoutouts abound in The Tortured Poets Department : Charlie Puth gets his much-deserved (and Taylor-approved) flowers on the title track, while 1920s screen siren Clara Bow, the ancient Greek prophetess Cassandra and Peter Pan each get a song titled after them. Post Malone and Florence + the Machine ’s Florence Welch each tap in for memorable duets. Relationships old (Joe Alwyn), new (Travis Kelce) and somewhere in between (1975’s Matty Healy) are alluded to without naming names, as is, possibly, the singer’s reputation -era feud with Kim Kardashian.

Swift casts a wide net on The Tortured Poets Department , encompassing popular music, literature, mythology and beyond, but it's far from the first time the 14-time GRAMMY winner has worn her influences on her sleeve. While you digest TTPD , consider these 10 figures who have influenced the poet of the hour — from Stevie Nicks and Patti Smith to Emily Dickinson, William Wordsworth, Arya Stark and more.

Stevie Nicks

If Taylor Swift is the chairman of The Tortured Poets Department , Stevie Nicks may as well be considered its poet laureate emeritus. The mystical Fleetwood Mac frontwoman earns an important mention on side A closer "Clara Bow," in which Swift ties an invisible string from herself to a pre- Rumours Nicks ("In ‘75, the hair and lips/ Crowd goes wild at her fingertips"), and all the way back to the 1920s It Girl of the song’s title.

For her part, Nicks seems to approve of her place in Swift’s cultural lineage, considering she penned the poem found inside physical copies of The Tortured Poets Department . "He was in love with her/ Or at least she thought so," the Priestess of Rock and Roll wrote in part, before signing off, "For T — and me…"

Swift’s relationship with Nicks dates back to the 2010 GRAMMYs, when the pair performed a medley of "Rhiannon" and "You Belong With Me " before the then-country upstart took home her first Album Of The Year win for 2009’s Fearless . More recently, the "Edge of Seventeen" singer publicly credited Swift’s Midnights cut "You’re On Your Own, Kid" for helping her through the 2022 death of Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie .

Patti Smith

Swift may see herself as more "modern idiot" than modern-day Patti Smith, but that didn’t stop the superstar from name-dropping the icon synonymous with the Hotel Chelsea and punk scene of ‘70s New York on a key track on The Tortured Poets Department . Swift rather self-deprecatingly compares herself to the celebrated Just Kids memoirist (and 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame nominee) on the double album’s synth-drenched title track, and it’s easy to see how Smith’s lifelong fusion of rock and poetry influenced the younger singer’s dactylic approach to her new album.

Smith seemed to appreciate the shout-out on "The Tortured Poets Department" as well. "This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thank you Taylor," she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself reading Thomas’ 1940 poetry collection Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog .

Emily Dickinson

When it comes to iconic poets, Swift has also taken a page or two over her career from Emily Dickinson. While the great 19th century poet hasn’t come up explicitly in Swift’s work, she did reference her poetic forebear (and actual sixth cousin, three times removed !) in her speech while accepting the award for Songwriter-Artist of the Decade at the 2022 Nashville Songwriter Awards.

"I’ve never talked about this publicly before, because, well, it’s dorky. But I also have, in my mind, secretly, established genre categories for lyrics I write. Three of them, to be exact. They are affectionately titled Quill Lyrics, Fountain Pen Lyrics and Glitter Gel Pen Lyrics," Swift told the audience before going on to explain, "If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill genre," she went on to explain.

Even before this glimpse into Swift’s writing process, Easter eggs had been laid pointing to her familial connection to Dickinson. For example, she announced her ninth album evermore on December 10, 2020, which would have been the late poet’s 190th birthday. Another clue that has Swifties convinced? Dickinson’s use of the word "forevermore" in her 1858 poem "One Sister Have I in Our House," which Swift also cleverly breaks apart in Evermore ’s Bon Iver-assisted title track ("And I couldn’t be sure/ I had a feeling so peculiar/ That this pain would be for/ Evermore").

The Lake Poets

Swift first put her growing affinity for poetry on display during her folklore era with "the lakes." On the elegiac bonus track, the singer draws a parallel with the Lake Poets of the 19th century, wishing she could escape to "the lakes where all the poets went to die" with her beloved muse in tow. In between fantasizing about "those Windermere peaks" and pining for "auroras and sad prose," she even manages to land a not-so-subtle jab at nemesis Scooter Braun ("I’ve come too far to watch some name-dropping sleaze/ Tell me what are my words worth") that doubles as clever wordplay on the last name of Lake Poet School members William and Dorothy Wordsworth.

Swift revealed more about why she connected to the Lake Poets in her 2020 Disney+ documentary folklore: the long pond studio sessions . "There was a poet district, these artists that moved there. And they were kind of heckled for it and made fun of for it as being these eccentrics and these kind of odd artists who decided that they just wanted to live there," she explained to her trusted producer Jack Antonoff . "So ‘the lakes,’ it kind of is the overarching theme of the whole album: of trying to escape, having something you wanna protect, trying to protect your own sanity and saying, ‘Look, they did this hundreds of years ago. I’m not the first person who’s felt this way.’"

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and Swift have publicly praised one another’s work for years, leading to the 2020 Rolling Stone cover they posed for together for the special Musicians on Musicians issue . The younger singer even counts Sir Paul’s daughter Stella McCartney as a close friend and collaborator (Stella designed a capsule collection for Swift’s 2019 studio set Lover and earned a shout-out of her own on album cut "London Boy").

However, Swift took her relationship with the Beatles founder and his family a step further when it was rumored she based Midnights deep cut "Sweet Nothing" on McCartney’s decades-long romance with late wife Linda. While the speculation has never been outright confirmed, it appears Swift’s lyrics in the lilting love song ("On the way home, I wrote a poem/ You say, ‘What a mind’/ This happens all the time") were partially inspired by a strikingly similar quote McCartney once gave about his relationship with Linda, who passed away in 1998. To add to the mystique, the Midnights singer even reportedly liked a tweet from 2022 espousing the theory.

The admiration between the duo seems to go both ways as well, with the former Beatle admitting in a 2018 BBC profile that the track "Who Cares" from his album Egypt Station was inspired by Swift’s close relationship with her fans.

From her days as a country music ingénue to her ascendance as the reigning mastermind of pop, Swift has credited the Chicks as a seminal influence in her songwriting and career trajectory. (Need examples? Look anywhere from early singles like "Picture to Burn" and "Should’ve Said No" to Evermore ’s Haim-assisted murder ballad "no body, no crime" and her own Lover -era collab with the band, "Soon You’ll Get Better.")

In a 2020 Billboard cover story tied to the Chicks’ eighth album Gaslighter , Swift acknowledged just how much impact the trio made on her growing up. "Early in my life, these three women showed me that female artists can play their own instruments while also putting on a flamboyant spectacle of a live show," she said at the time. "They taught me that creativity, eccentricity, unapologetic boldness and kitsch can all go together authentically. Most importantly, they showed an entire generation of girls that female rage can be a bonding experience between us all the very second we first heard Natalie Maines bellow ‘that Earl had to DIE.’"

"Game of Thrones"

When reputation dropped in 2017, Swift was on a self-imposed media blackout, which meant no cover stories or dishy sit-down interviews on late-night TV during the album’s roll-out. Instead, the singer let reputation speak for itself, and fans were largely left to draw their own conclusions about their queen’s wildly anticipated comeback album. Two years later, though, Swift revealed the dark, vengeful, romantic body of work was largely inspired by "Game of Thrones."

"These songs were half based on what I was going through, but seeing them through a 'Game of Thrones' filter," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2019. "My entire outlook on storytelling has been shaped by ["GoT"] — the ability to foreshadow stories, to meticulously craft cryptic story lines. So, I found ways to get more cryptic with information and still be able to share messages with the fans. I aspire to be one one-millionth of the kind of hint dropper the makers of 'Game of Thrones' have been."

Joni Mitchell

Swift has long made her admiration of Joni Mitchell known, dating back to her 2012 album Red , which took a cue from the folk pioneer’s landmark 1971 LP Blue for its chromatic title. In an interview around the time of Red ’s release, the country-pop titan gushed over Blue ’s impact on her, telling Rhapsody, "[Mitchell] wrote it about her deepest pains and most haunting demons. Songs like ‘River,’ which is just about her regrets and doubts of herself — I think this album is my favorite because it explores somebody’s soul so deeply."

Back in 2015, TIME declared the "Blank Space" singer a "disciple of Mitchell in ways both obvious and subtle" — from her reflective songwriting to the complete ownership over her creative process, and nearly 10 years later, Swift was still showing her appreciation for Mitchell after the latter’s triumphant and emotional appearance on the GRAMMY stage to perform "Both Sides Now" on the very same night Taylor took home her historic fourth GRAMMY for Album Of The Year for Midnights .

Fall Out Boy & Paramore

When releasing the re-recording of her third album Speak Now in 2023, Swift cited two unexpectedly emo acts as inspirations to her early songwriting: Fall Out Boy and Paramore .

"Since Speak Now was all about my songwriting, I decided to go to the artists who I feel influenced me most powerfully as a lyricist at that time and ask them to sing on the album," she wrote in an Instagram post revealing the back cover and complete tracklist for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) , which included Fall Out Boy collaboration "Electric Touch" and "Castles Crumbling" featuring Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams .

For one of Swift’s original career inspirations, we have to go all the way back to the very first single she ever released. "Tim McGraw" was not only as the lead single off the 16-year-old self-titled 2006 debut album, but it also paid reverent homage to one of the greatest living legends in the history of country music.

In retrospect, it was an incredibly gutsy risk for a then-unknown Swift to come raring out of the gate with a song named after a country superstar. But the gamble clearly paid off in spades, considering that now, when an entire generation of music fans hear "Tim McGraw," they think of Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Is A Post-Mortem Autopsy In Song: 5 Takeaways From Her New Album

Photos (L-R): Buda Mendes/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management, Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel

Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift's Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon

Upon the arrival of Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department,' take a deep dive into her discography and see how each album helped her become the genre-shifting superstar she is today.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 19 to reflect the release of The Tortured Poets Department.

The world now knows Taylor Swift as a global pop superstar, but back in 2006, she was just a doe-eyed country prodigy. Since then, she's released 11 studio albums, re-recorded four as "Taylor's Version," and cultivated one of the most feverish fan bases in music. Oh, and she's also won 14 GRAMMY Awards, including four for Album Of The Year — the most ever won by an artist.

Swift has become one of music's most notable shapeshifters by refusing to limit herself to one genre, moving between country, pop, folk and beyond. A once-in-a-lifetime generational storyteller, one could argue that she is music's modern-day maverick, constantly evolving both her music and the culture around her.

Every album era has seen Swift reinvent herself over and over, which has helped pave the way for artists to explore other musical avenues. In turn, Swift hasn't just become one of the biggest artists of all time — she's changed pop music altogether.

To celebrate Taylor Swift's newest era with The Tortured Poets Department , GRAMMY.com looks back on all of her albums (Taylor's Versions not included) and how each era shaped her remarkable career.

Taylor Swift : Finding Her Place In Music

In a genre dominated by men, the odds were already stacked against Swift when she first broke into country music as a teenage female artist. The thing that differentiated her from other writers — and still does to this day — is her songwriting. She didn't want to be just "another girl singer" and knew writing her own songs would be what set her apart.

Written throughout her adolescence, Taylor Swift was recorded at the end of 2005 and finalized by the time Swift finished her freshman year of high school. Serving as a snapshot of Swift's life and teenhood, she avoided songwriting stereotypes typically found in country music. Instead, she wanted to capture the years of her life while they still represented what she was going through, writing about what she was observing and experiencing, from love and friendship to feeling like an outsider.

As a songwriter, Taylor Swift set the tone for what would be expected of her future recordings — all songs were written by her, some solely and others with one or two co-writers. One writer in particular, Liz Rose , applauded Swift's songwriting capabilities, stating that she was more of an "editor" for the songs because Swift already had such a distinct vision.

The album's lead single, "Tim McGraw," an acoustic country ballad inspired by Swift knowing her relationship was going to end, represents an intricate part of Swift's songwriting process; meticulously picking apart her emotions to better understand them. With its follow-up, "Our Song" — which spent six consecutive weeks on the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart — she became the youngest person to solely write and sing a No. 1 country single; she also became the first female solo artist in country music to write or co-write every song on an album.

Although Swift's eponymous debut is underappreciated now — even lacking its own set on Swift's Eras Tour — Taylor Swift 's forthcoming rerecording is arguably the most anticipated by fans, who are eager to hear the songs with the singer's current and more refined vocals. Still, for fans who haven't properly explored Taylor Swift , it's easy to tie together Swift's earlier work to her current discography.

On the track "A Place In This World," a song she wrote when she was just 13, Swift sings about not fitting in and trying to find her path. While her songwriting has developed and matured, feeling like an outsider and carving her own path is a theme she still writes about now, as seen on Midnights ' "You're On Your Own, Kid."

Even as a new country artist, critics claimed that she "mastered" the genre while subsequently ushering it to a new era — one that would soon see Swift dabble in country-pop.

Fearless : Creating A Different Kind Of Fairytale

If Taylor Swift was the soundtrack to navigating the early stages of teenhood, Fearless is Swift's coming-of-age record. More than its predecessor, Fearless blurs the line between country and pop thanks to crossover hits like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me," yet still keeps the confessional attributes known in country songwriting.

Most of Fearless is Swift coming to terms with what she believed love to be. On the album's liner notes, Swift says Fearless is about "living in spite" of the things that scare you, like falling in love again despite being hurt before or walking away and letting go. The 2008 version of Taylor wanted to "believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after," whereas in Swift's Fearless (Taylor's Version) liner notes, she looks back on the album as a diary where she was learning "tiny lessons" every time there was a "new crack in the facade of the fairytale ending she'd been shown in the movies."

Much of Fearless also sees Swift being reflective and nostalgic about adolescence, like in "Never Grow Up" and "Fifteen." Still wistful and romantic, the album explores Swift's hopes for love, as heard in the album's lead single "Love Story," which was one instance where she was "dramatizing" observations instead of actually experiencing them herself.

Unlike the slow-burn of Taylor Swift , Fearless went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks. It won Swift's first Album Of The Year GRAMMY in 2010, at the time making her the youngest person to win the accolade at age 20. To date, it has sold 7.2 million copies in America alone. It might not be the romantic tale Swift dreamed of growing up, but her sophomore album signalled that bigger things were to come.

Speak Now : Proving Her Songwriting Prowess

Everything that happened after the success of Fearless pushed Swift from country music's best-kept secret to a mainstream star. But this meant that she faced more publicity and criticism, from naysayers who nitpicked her songwriting and vocals to the infamous Kanye West incident at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

For the first time since becoming an artist, she was forced to reckon with the concept of celebrity and how turning into one — whether she wanted it or not — informed her own writing and perception of herself. No longer was she the girl writing songs like "Fifteen" in her bedroom — now she was working through becoming a highly publicized figure. Speak Now is the answer to those growing pains.

Along with having more eyes on her, Swift also felt pressured to maintain her persona as a perfect young female role model amid a time when her peers like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato were attempting to rebrand to be more mature and sexier. During her NYU commencement speech in 2022, she reflected on this era of her life as one of intense fear that she could make a mistake and face lasting consequences, so the songs were masked in metaphors rather than directly addressing adult themes in her music. But that also resulted in some of her most poignant lyrics to date.

Read More: For The Record: How Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Changed Her Career — And Proved She'll Always Get The Last Word

Writing the entire album herself, Swift used Speak Now to prove her songwriting prowess to those who questioned her capabilities. Much like her previous two albums, Swift included songs that were both inspired by her own life and being a fly on the wall. The album's title track pulled from the saying, "Speak now or forever hold your peace," inspired by a friend's ex-boyfriend getting engaged; meanwhile, "Mean" was everything Swift wanted to say to a critic who was continuously harsh about her vocals.

Retrospective and reflective, Speak Now is an album about the speeches she could've, would've and should've said. From addressing the aforementioned VMA incident in the forgiving "Innocent" to a toxic relationship in "Dear John," Speak Now also hinted that her rose-colored glasses were cracked, but Swift (and her songwriting) was only becoming stronger because of it.

Red : Coming Into Her Own

Highly regarded as Swift's magnum opus, Red sees the singer shed the fairytale dresses and the girl-next-door persona to craft a body of work that has now been deemed as her first "adult" record. On Red, Swift focused on emotions evoked from a hot-and-cold relationship, one that forced her to experience " intense love, intense frustration, jealousy and confusion " — all feelings that she'd describe as "red."

Unlike most of her previous writing that had been inspired by happy endings and fairytales, Red explores the lingering pain and loss that can embed itself within despite trying your hardest to let go. In her liner notes, she references Pablo Neruda's poem "Tonight I Can Write," stating that "Love is so short, forgetting is so long" is the overarching theme for the album. She plays with time — speeding it up in "Starlight," dabbling in the past in "All Too Well," and reframing it in "State of Grace" — to better understand her experiences.

After releasing country-pop records, Red toed the line between genres more than ever before. Swift leaned further into the full pop territory by working with esteemed producers Max Martin and Shellback for the dubstep-leaning track "I Knew You Were Trouble," the punchy lead single "We Are Never Getting Back Together," and the bouncy anthem "22." But even when the pop power players weren't involved, her country stylings still leaned more pop across the album, as further evidenced with the racing deep cut "Holy Ground" and the echoing title track.

The slight change of direction became polarizing for critics and fans alike. Following the more country-influenced Speak Now , some critics and fans found the pop songs on Red were too pop and the lyrics were too repetitive, possibly indicating that she might be selling out. If that wasn't enough, Red became an era where Swift's personal life went from speculation to tabloid fodder, with misogynistic headlines and diluting her work to just "writing about her exes." It's an era that would eventually inspire many tracks on Red 's successor, 1989 , like "Blank Space" and "Shake It Off."

Commercially, Red debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 1.2 million copies in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling country album and making Swift the first female artist to have three consecutive albums spend six or more weeks at the top of the chart. The impact of Red extended beyond its own success, too. Often mentioned as a record that inspired a generation of artists from Troye Sivan to Conan Gray , Swift's confessional, soul-bearing authenticity set a new standard for straightforward pop music.

1989 : Reinventing Into A Pop Genius

The night Red lost the GRAMMY for Album Of The Year in 2014, Swift decided that her next album would be a full-on pop record. After years of identifying as a country artist and flirting with pop, Swift departed her roots to reinvent herself, no matter what her then-label or critics had to say. And in true Swiftian fashion, turning into a pop artist didn't just prove her genre-shapeshifting capabilities — it further solidified her as an artist who is at her best when she freely creates to her desires and refuses to adhere to anyone.

1989 was lauded by critics for its infectious synth-pop that was reminiscent of the 1980s, yet still had a contemporary sound. Swift opted to lean more into radio-friendly hits, which resulted in songs like "Style," "Wildest Dreams," "Blank Space," and "Shake It Off," all of which became singles. And where some might trade a hit or two at the expense of their artistic integrity, Swift didn't falter — instead, her lyrics were just as heartfelt and intimate as they were on prior albums.

After exploring pop-leaning sonics she first found with Red , Swift worked with Martin and Shellback again on most of 1989 . This reinvention brought new (and very important) collaborators as well. Swift's now-frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff credits her as the first person to take a chance on him as a producer with "I Wish You Would" and "Out Of The Woods"; both tracks exemplified how future Antonoff-produced songs would sound on albums like reputation, Lover and Midnights .

At the time, 1989 became Swift's best-selling album to date. It sold nearly 1.3 million copies within release week in the U.S., debuting atop the Billboard 200 and reigning for 11 non-consecutive weeks. The album also earned Swift several awards — including her second Album Of The Year GRAMMY, which made her the first female artist to ever win the award twice.

Following the release of 1989 , Swift became a cultural juggernaut, and the album has had an omnipresence in music since. Swift didn't just normalize blending genres, but proved that you can create a sound that is uniquely yours by doing so. In turn, Billie Eilish , Dua Lipa and more pop stars have refused to conform or stick to what they've done prior.

reputation : Killing The Old Taylor

For years, Swift was on a strict two-year cycle — she'd release an album one year, tour the next, and then release a new album the following year. But following the heightened scrutiny and highly publicized tabloid drama that followed the end of the 1989 era, Swift completely disappeared for a year. She stayed away from public appearances, didn't do any press, and missed the album schedule fans became accustomed to. It wasn't until summer 2017 when she returned from her media (and social media) blackout to unveil the fitting title for her new album: reputation .

Born as a response to the naysayers and name-callers, reputation follows Swift shedding her public image — which includes the pressure to be perfect, the drama, and the criticism — by declaring, "There will be no further explanation. There will just be reputation." Leaning on the same tongue-in-cheek songwriting techniques she used while penning "Blank Space," Swift wrote from the mindset of how the public perceived her.

When Swift released the lead single "Look What You Made Me Do," a song she initially wrote as a poem about not trusting specific people, many assumed the album would center on vengeance and drama. Although Swift said that the album has its vindictive moments — even declaring that the "old Taylor" is dead on the bridge of "Look What You Made Me Do" — it's a vulnerable record for her. Swift described reputation as a bait-and-switch; at their core, the songs are about finding love in the darkest moments.

Swift still remained in the pop lane with reputation , largely leaning on Antonoff and the Martin/Shellback team. The sound almost mirrored the scrutiny Swift faced in the years prior — booming electropop beats, maximalist production and pulsing synthesizers dominate, particularly on "End Game," "I Did Something Bad," and "Ready For It…?" But the "old Taylor" isn't entirely gone on songs like "Call It What You Want," "So It Goes…" and "New Year's Day," where she lets her guard down to write earnest love odes.

Even after Swift spent some time away from the spotlight, the public didn't immediately gravitate toward her return. And even despite matching the 1.2 million first-week sales of her previous releases, some concluded that the album was her first commercial failure when compared to 1989 . With time, though, it became clear that the response to reputation became muddled with the public's overall perception of her at the time — some even claimed that Swift was ahead of her time with the album's overall sound.

For her 2023 TIME Person of the Year profile , Swift described reputation as a "goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure." For years, she felt the pressure to be "America's Sweetheart" and to never step out of line. Writing reputation became a lifeline following the events that catalyzed it — a way to shed the so-called snakeskin and make peace with however the public wanted to view her.

Lover : Stepping Into The Daylight

After finding love amongst chaos with reput ation, Swift was learning to deal with the anxiety and fear of losing her partner — became a major theme of another aptly titled album, Lover . Both sonically and visually, Lover was a complete change from reputation . After touring reputation , Swift found that her fans saw her as "a flesh-and-blood human being," inspiring her to be "brave enough to be vulnerable" because her fans were along with her. Stepping away from the dark and antagonistic themes around reputation encouraged Swift to step into the light and be playful with her work on Lover .

Swift also found a new sense of creativity within this new mindset, one where she aimed to still embed playful themes in her songwriting but with less snark than that of "Blank Space" and "Look What You Made Me Do." Leaning into Lover being a "love letter to love," Swift explored every aspect of it. Tracks like "Paper Rings" and "London Boy" exude a whimsical energy, even if they center on more serious themes like marriage and commitment. Other songs, including "Death By A Thousand Cuts" and "Cornelia Street," are Swift at her most vulnerable, reflecting on a love lost and grappling with the extreme worry that comes when you could potentially lose someone.

Looking at Lover retrospectively, it's an album that almost symbolizes a bookend in her discography. She was playful yet poignant, picking apart her past lyrics and feelings and looking at them with the perspective of someone who was once on top of the world, hit rock bottom, and survived in spite of it. This evolution is mentioned throughout Lover, particularly in a direct callback to 2012's Red , "Daylight," which sees her describe her love as "golden" rather than "burning red."

Lover also marked the first time Swift divulged into politics and societal issues, like campaigning against Donald Trump, releasing the Pride-infused "You Need To Calm Down," and feeling disillusioned by the political climate with "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince." Swift's documentary Miss Americana explores this change further, discussing how she regrets not being vocal about politics and issues prior, in addition to opening up about her body image issues and mental health struggles.

Lover became Swift's sixth No. 1 album in America, making her the first female artist to achieve the feat. But Lover was more than any accolades could reflect — it was Swift's transitional album in many ways, notably marking the first album that she owned entirely herself following leaving Big Machine Records for Republic Records in 2018.

folklore : Looking Beyond Her Personal Stories

After the pandemic started and Swift cancelled her Lover Fest, she spent the early stages of quarantine reading and watching a myriad of films. Without exactly setting out to create an album, she began dreaming of fictional stories and characters with various narrative arcs, allowing her imagination to run free. The result became folklore , 2020's surprise archetypal quarantine album.

Crafting a world with characters like the folklore love triangle between those in "betty" and "august," as well as Rebekah Harkness from "the last great american dynasty" (who once lived in Swift's Rhode Island mansion), was Swift's way of venturing outside her typical autobiographical style of writing. She'd see visceral images in her mind — from battleships to tree swings to mirrored disco balls — and turned them into stories, sometimes weaving in her own personal narrative throughout, or taking on a narrator role and speaking from the perspective of someone she had never met.

She worked remotely with two producers — again working with her right-hand man Jack Antonoff, and first-time collaborator Aaron Dessner from The National . Some songs, like "peace," were recorded in just one take, capturing the essence and fragility in the song's story, whereas the lyrics for the sun-drenched "august" were penned on the spot as Swift was in her makeshift home studio in Los Angeles.

Another aspect that separated folklore from her previous work was the obvious decision not to create hits made for radio play, so much so that Dessner claimed that she made an anti-pop record at a time when radio wanted clear "bops." Sonically, it ventured into genres Swift hadn't explored much outside of a few folkier tracks on Lover . Rather than relying on mostly electronic elements, Swift, Antonoff and Dessner weaved in soft pianos, ethereal strings, and plucky guitars.

folklore 's impact on the zeitgeist at a time where everyone was stuck at home helped shape people's quarantine experience. Fans rejoiced at having songs to comfort them during difficult times, and artists like Maya Hawke , Gracie Abrams , and Sabrina Carpenter credit folklore for inspiring them to create and be even more emotionally honest in their songwriting. After its release, folklore became the best-selling album of 2020 after selling 1.2 million records. At the 2021 GRAMMYs, folklore took home Album Of The Year , making her the fourth artist in history to win three times in the Category.

evermore : Embracing Experimentation

It was exciting enough for Swifties to experience one surprise album drop from Swift, an artist who typically has an entire album campaign calculated. So when evermore was released just six months after folklore , fans were in shock.

Like its (literally) folklorian sister, evermore was a surprise release at the end of 2020, marking the first time Swift didn't have distinct "eras" between albums. She felt like there was something "different" with folklore , stating in a social media post that making it was less like she was "departing" and more like she was "returning" to the next stage of her discography. In turn, the album served as a similar escape for Swift as folklore did.

Bridging together the same wistful and nostalgic themes as heard on its predecessor, evermore sees Swift venture even further into escapism. She explores more stories and characters, some based in fiction like "dorothea," and some real, like "marjorie," written in dedication to Swift's grandmother.

Evermore follows folklore 's inclusion of natural imagery and motifs, like landscapes, skies, ivy, and celestial elements. In contrast to the fairytale motifs and happy endings of Fearless , evermore saw Swift become fixated on "unhappy" endings — stories of failed marriages ("happiness"), lifeless relationships ("tolerate it"), and one-time flings ("'tis the damn season").

Sonically, evermore is a slight departure from its sister record; where folklore relies on more alt-leaning and indie-tinged sounds, evermore takes the sonics from all of Swift's past records — from pop to country to indie rock — and features all of them on one album. Country songs like "cowboy like me" and "no body, no crime" reaches back to Swift's earlier work in narrative building, seamlessly crafting a three-party story with ease. "Closure" is a "skittering" track that has the same energy as tracks like Lover 's "I Forgot That You Existed," whereas the ballad "champagne problems" is thematically reminiscent of Swift's Speak Now track "Back To December" where she takes responsibility for her lover's heartache.

Working mostly with Dessner on evermore , Swift was emboldened to continue creating and opted to embrace whatever came naturally to them rather than limiting themselves to a sound. Swift felt a "quiet conclusion" after finishing up evermore , describing that it was more about grappling with endings of all "sizes and shapes," and the record represented a chapter closing. Even so, its poetic lyricism and mystical storytelling cleverly foreshadowed what was to come with subsequent albums, particularly The Tortured Poets Department .

Midnights : Encapsulating Her Artistic Magic

After coming out of the folklorian woods following folklore and evermore , fans and critics alike were intrigued to see what direction Swift would take on her next studio album. On Midnights , Swift leaves behind indie folk sounds and returns to the pop production of 1989 and Lover .

Her most conceptual album to date, Midnights charts 13 sleepless nights and explores five themes, from self-hatred and revenge to "what if" fantasies, falling in love, and falling apart. They are the things that keep her up at night, like the self-critiquing in "Anti-Hero," her rise to fame in "You're on Your Own, Kid," and the anxiety of falling in love again in "Labyrinth." Similarly to Swift's cheeky songwriting style that sees her create caricatures of herself in songs like "Blank Space" and "Look What You Made Me Do," she doubles down on claims she's "calculated" on "Mastermind," a song about devising a plan for her and her lover.

Although the album is a departure from the two pandemic sister albums, the overall creation process didn't differ too much. In addition to working alongside Antonoff (and bringing Dessner in for the bonus-track-filled 3am Edition), Swift's worldbuilding is still the throughline that connects Midnights and Swift's recent albums, whether she's dreaming of a Parisian escape in "Paris" or using war imagery as a metaphor for the struggle of love in "The Great War."

Read More: 5 Takeaways From Taylor Swift's New Album 'Midnights'

Following the success with folklore and evermore , Swift's intrigue was at a then-all-time high upon the release of Midnights . Along with breaking several streaming records — including becoming the first album to exceed 700 million global streams in a week — it was Swift's 11th No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, and was the highest-selling album of 2022 (and, remarkably, the second best-selling of 2023).

To say that Swift's celebrity has become otherworldly since the release of Midnights would be an understatement. Celebrating her genre-defying and varied discography through The Eras Tour has resulted in old songs having a resurgence, new inside jokes and Easter eggs within the fandom, and a plethora of new listeners being exposed to Swift's work.

As a result, there has arguably never been more excitement for a Taylor Swift album than for The Tortured Poets Department — especially because the announcement came on the heels of her lucky 13th GRAMMY win in February. Midnights helped further solidify Swift's larger-than-life status at the finale of the 2024 GRAMMYs, too, as she became the only artist in history to win Album Of The Year four times.

The Tortured Poets Department : A Grief-Stricken Poetic Odyssey

It’s been a while since Swift has penned a full-fledged breakup album. On The Tortured Poets Department , she navigates the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — after her long-term relationship ended. Taking a page from the release of folklore and evermore , she dropped a double album and announced The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology at 2 a.m. on release day. Throughout a total of 31 tracks, the prolific songwriter shelved the glittery pop radio-friendly tunes in favor of more subdued, synthy and heart-wrenching songs.

On Instagram, Swift described the album as a collection of poetic songs that reflect the "events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time," Swift pulled out the fountain and quill pens to craft songs about the "tortured poets" in her life — sometimes musing about lovers, sometimes taking aim at villains, and sometimes pointing the finger at herself.

TTPD is also her most confessional album thus far. It pokes fun at so-called fans who overstep with her personal life ("But Daddy I Love Him"), says goodbye to a city that gave her a home ("So Long London"), and muses on how her own celebrity has stunted her growth ("Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?"). To help explain this chapter of her life, Swift brings together a myriad of collaborators — from Stevie Nicks as fellow poetess, to duets with Florence Welch and Post Malone — and leans on real and fictional characters, like Clara Bow, Peter Pan ("Peter"), and Patti Smith .

In the same post, Swift declared that once she’s confessed all of her saddest stories, she’s able to find freedom. Yet The Tortured Poets Department (and its accompanying 15-track anthology) spends much time reflecting: she toys with her own lore, self-referencing past songs from albums like 1989 and poems from her reputation era.

Fourteen years ago, Swift declared that she would never change, but she’ll never stay the same either. The Tortured Poets Department proves that in the throughline of Taylor Swift's many artistic eras is a commitment to exploration and a love of autobiographical lyricism.

All Things Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performing during her Eras Tour with a guitar

Photo: Don Arnold/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Is A Post-Mortem Autopsy In Song: 5 Takeaways From Her New Album

"There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed," Taylor Swift wrote of her new album. From grapplings with fame to ultra-personal reflections on love lost, her latest set of fountain and quill pen songs marks the end of an era.

"All’s fair in love and poetry," Taylor Swift declared when she announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , at the 66th GRAMMY Awards .

Taken from the proverb "All’s fair in love and war," the pop phenom gave us a fair warning: there’s no limit to what she’ll go through to achieve her ends.

On the freshly released The Tortured Poets Department , Taylor Swift has a few things to get off her chest — so much that it required a surprise second record, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology , adding an additional 15 songs . The sprawling album is a masterclass in songwriting and so personal that it's analogous to performing a post mortem autopsy; The musical shapeshifter is here to exhume the tortured poets of her past and make peace with them.

In an Instagram post , Swift called the record an anthology that reflects " events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time - one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure." With the release of Tortured Poets , "t here is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed…our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page."

Describing Swift’s work as a collection of tracks about boys and break-ups has always felt underbaked and disingenuous, but much of The Tortured Poets Department is just that. In true Swiftian fashion, she plays on preconceived theories, opting to toy with the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance — after a break-up, bringing listeners along on a peregrination exploring the depths of her relationships and personal growth.

Analyzing her feelings to craft songs is muscle memory at this point, but with every release Taylor Swift somehow does so with a refreshed and reimagined perspective. The stories she shares with her fans in TTPD might’ve made her feel like she died, but she’s a revenant no longer tortured by the whims and words of other poets.

With The Tortured Poets Department open for business, read on for five key points to consider when listening to Taylor Swift’s new album .

It's Much More Than A Break-Up Record

Although the record orbits around a break-up, The Tortured Poets Department demonstrates Swift's ability to shapeshift as a songwriter. A song about a break-up is layered, typically forcing Swift to unveil her own flaws while wearing her broken heart on her sleeve.

The fifth track on a Taylor Swift album is typically the most emotionally cutting, and "So Long London" is no exception. On the standout track, Swift views the loss of her lover and the breakdown of her relationship to Joe Alwyn through the lens of the city they once shared together. It’s a cathartic release for Swift who point-blank notes the pain they inflicted upon her and how, in turn, they ended up just as heartbroken as she is.

The high-spirited "Down Bad" and subdued "The Smallest Man in The World" are two sides of the same coin. The former is hopeful that a love could be reignited, whereas the latter sees Swift at her grittiest, pointing the finger at her former lover. "Smallest" poses a series of questions, accusing her ex of being a spy who only wanted to get intel on her.

On piano ode "loml," Swift looks back at the "get-love-quick" schemes she first wrote about in "Why She Disappeared," a poem for reputation . The poem originally considered the death of her reputation and how its aftermath made her stronger while she was simultaneously nursing a new relationship.

The track has a similar energy to fan favorite "All Too Well," but is even more accusatory — seemingly unlocking another level of her songwriting prowess as she teeters between seething rage and mourning with lines about picking through a "braid of lies" spewed by a partner who "claimed he was a lion" but is really a coward. While Swift is honest about never feeling a loss so deeply, she maturely accepts that the effort she put into keeping the relationship afloat was all she could do. It’s distinctly different from the battles she bravely fought in "The Great War," "Daylight" and "long story short."

She's Grappling With Fame & Owning Her Choices

That Taylor Swift struggles with her own celebrity and the public's perception is nothing new. On reputation ’s album prologue, she stated, "We think we know someone, but the truth is that we only know the version of them they have chosen to show us."

On The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has never been more honest about her feelings towards those who claim to know better than she does. On "But Daddy I Love Him," she doubles down on these frustrations, taking aim at self-righteous "vipers" and "judgmental creeps" who condemn her choice of a lover. Swift holds nothing back, declaring "I'll tell you something about my good name/It's mine alone to disgrace."

Swift stated that her life sometimes feels like a public autopsy with people psychoanalyzing her every thought and feeling. Following the release of Midnights and her larger-than-life Eras Tour , Swift’s been in her "glittering prime" despite experiencing her long-term relationship ending and the media hysteria around it would make anyone feel the opposite. "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart" confirms fans' theories that the GRAMMY winner was indeed putting on a brave face.

On "Clara Bow" — a song named for the silent film actress whose public life was so scrutinized that she admitted herself into a sanatorium — Swift sings "Beauty is a beast that roars/Down on all fours/Demanding, 'More.'" Again, Swift plays with the double-edged sword of fame, comparing herself to a performing circus animal — something she sings about in "Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?"

Taylor Swift Gets By With A Little Help From Her Friends

Swift has always looked up to and honored the greats in her music and art, and Tortured Poets is no exception. She recruits rock icon and songwriter Stevie Nicks to help build TTPD ’s world, and Nicks penned a poem featured in Swift’s physical album. Written in Texas, the poem is "For T and me..." and tells the tale of two ill-fated lovers. (Swift also namedrops Nicks in "Clara Bow," touching on the comparisons made between Clara, Nicks and herself.)

There are two additional guest appearances on TTPD : Post Malone appears on "Fortnight" and Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine is featured on "Florida!!!" (a surprisingly toned-down lead single). Swift particularly shines when paired with Welch, and the soaring "Florida!!!" sees their intertwined vocals creating a sound as infectious as the "drug" they sing about.

J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan inspired Swift on "cardigan" ("Tried to change the ending/Peter losing Wendy") but now the Lost Boy gets his own track on The Anthology ’s "Peter." The ever-inquisitive Swift pleads, "You said you were gonna grow up/Then you were gonna come find me" and confronts this man who wouldn’t grow up. She even puts herself in the shoes of Wendy who waited for Peter Pan to return but has grown tired of waiting.

TTPS Is All Quill And Fountain Pen Songs

A few years ago, Taylor Swift categorized her songwriting according to three writing devices: glitter gel pens for fun tracks, fountain pens for songs using modern imagery and lyrics, and quill pens for tracks with flowery, figurative language. Although devoid of the glittery gel pen songs that comprise many of Swift's hits, TTPD and its accompanying anthology are steeped in fountain and quill writing.

Most of The Tortured Poets Department are fountain pen tracks — thanks to 2024 Producer Of The Year Jack Antonoff ’s sleek pop production and synth use. Tracks like "Fresh Out The Slammer" and "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" are sharp, snappy, tongue-in-cheek tales of love affairs about to begin and coming to an end with the same sonic exuberance of past Swift & Antonoff songs, like "Out of the Woods" and "Getaway Car."

Tracks on The Anthology , mostly produced by Aaron Dessner , are stripped-back, folk-tinged quill songs brimming with sorrow and harrowing thematics and dives even deeper into her chaotic psyche. "The Prophecy" sees Swift beg to change a prophecy that has been laid out ahead of her — likely stemming from the pressure of being a global superstar when all she wants is to be loved.

This Is The End Of An Era (Or A Chapter)

To her occasional disdain, Swift's highly personal songwriting has created a global obsession with her inner life. Although she's tired of the "public autopsy," Tortured Poets offers her time to reflect on the "events, opinions, and sentiments" over a time that was equal parts transient and transformative.

From her growth from the country-twanged teen singer on her self-titled debut to woman who is fearless in her pursuit of happiness, love, and peace, Swift has transformed time and time again. By viewing her work in eras — or, in this case, a chapter in a book of her life — it’s clear that Swift sees this current chapter of her life coming to a close, turning the last page and no longer longing to look back.

One could argue that Swift is an unreliable narrator, only ever presenting her side of the story. But she says that while considering the pain described on TTPS , many now-healed wounds turned out to be self-inflicted. With these stories immortalized, Taylor Swift has spoken her saddest story and is now "free of it." The tortured poets and poems will no longer take up space in this next chapter of her life.

Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift's Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon

Photo: Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift’s New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department' Is Here: The Tracklisting, Guests, Easter Eggs & More

Just over two months after Taylor Swift announced 'The Tortured Poets Department' at the 2024 GRAMMYs, the sprawling, bracingly personal album is here. Before you open the department door, arm yourself with the following knowledge.

We’ll be wandering through this Department for the foreseeable future.

Not only has Taylor Swift unleashed an absolute maelstrom with her 16-song new album, The Tortured Poets Department ; she’s dropped a whopping 15 additional tracks via its expanded version, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology .

Clearly, there’s an absolute treasure trove here — for Swifties and the merely Swift-curious alike. A mostly downbeat and discursive affair, The Tortured Poets Department feels like the shadow cast by the gilded, giddy, exhilarating Eras Tour , which isn’t over yet. (Which makes all the sense in the world, as she was simultaneously chipping away at the album while crisscrossing the globe.)

If you’re reading this, you’re probably bracing yourself for this long, solemn, darkly funny journey. Don’t go alone: here’s a brief breakdown of what you should know going in. (And keep checking GRAMMY.com, as there’s plenty more Taylor and Tortured Poets coming your way.)

The Tracklisting

As previously reported , here’s the standard tracklist for The Tortured Poets Department:

Side A "Fortnight" (feat. Post Malone ) "The Tortured Poets Department" "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" "Down Bad"

** Side B ** "So Long, London" "But Daddy I Love Him" "Fresh Out the Slammer" "Florida!!!" (feat. Florence + the Machine )

** Side C ** "Guilty As Sin?" "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?" "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" "Loml"

** Side D ** "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" "The Alchemy" "Clara Bow"

The Expanded Tracklisting

Aside from The Black Dog Edition , The Albatross Edition , The Bolter Edition , and The Manuscript Edition — which consist of the standard edition of the album with its titular bonus track — here are the additional tracks that complete The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology .

"The Black Dog"

"Imgonnagetyouback"

"The Albatross"

"Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus"

"How Did It End?"

"So High School"

"I Hate It Here" "thanK you aIMee"

"I Look In People’s Windows"

"The Prophecy" "Cassandra" "Peter" "The Bolter" "Robin"

"The Manuscript"

Physical copies of The Tortured Poets Department feature an original poem by the one and only Stevie Nicks .

Titled "For T and me…," the poem starts off with "He was in love with her / Or at least she thought so / She was brokenhearted / Maybe he was too." It goes on to trace a doomed relationship — one party being "way too hot to handle" and the other "way too high to try."

Elsewhere, Post Malone lends a haunting vocal to opener and lead single "Fortnight," and Florence + the Machine elevate "Florida!!!".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiqoZyauhdA

The lion’s share of the album was produced by Jack Antonoff ; Aaron Dessner handled a handful of tunes on the standard edition and the majority of The Anthology .

The Easter Eggs

Where do we begin? For starters, most of the songs seem to be directed at ex Matty Healy of the 1975, but Joe Alwyn and Travis Kelce seem to pop up here and there as well.

In the title track, Swift describes embracing the "cyclone" of a relationship with a partner akin to a "tattooed golden retriever." And they’d be remiss to compare themselves to Patti Smith or Dylan Thomas or any other famously tortured poet of the 20th century: "We’re modern idiots… we’re two idiots."

Elsewhere, Lucy Dacus of boygenius — and Antonoff himself — pop up ("But you tell Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave / And I had said that to Jack about you / So I felt seen").

Far be it from us to speculate on exact subjects, but there are shades of depression ("You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days"), a betrothal that wasn’t to be ("You swore that you loved me but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof") and the racket of fame ("The circus life made me mean").

As usual, Swift has dumped puzzle pieces on the carpet — daring her ardent, global fanbase to start at the edges and work their way to the center. But never to this degree, across such an ocean of material.

Tortured poets — and those who fall in love with them — assemble!

Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift’s Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon

1 5 Reasons Why Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Will Be The Most Legendary Of Her Generation
2 11 Artists Who Influenced Taylor Swift: Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Tim McGraw & More
3 Songbook: An Era-By-Era Breakdown Of Taylor Swift's Journey From Country Starlet To Pop Phenomenon
4 Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Is A Post-Mortem Autopsy In Song: 5 Takeaways From Her New Album
5 Taylor Swift’s New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department' Is Here: The Tracklisting, Guests, Easter Eggs & More

The Inspirational Gospel Music Channel

Dec 13, 2023

The 'One Hallelujah' Tour is Coming to a City Near You in 2024

They are some of the biggest names in gospel music: Erica Campbell, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Jekaln Carr, Jonathan McReynolds, and Israel Houghton, and they are coming to a city near you!

The ‘ One Hallelujah ' tour has been announced and will kick-off in Boston starting March 6, 2024.

Produced by Live Nation, the tour will land in 25 cities across the USA (see above for a list of city stops). Each of the five featured headliners is a gospel superstar in his or her own right.

After the success of Kirk Franklin's Reunion Tour, CeCe Winans's Tour, and even Beyonce's Renaissance Tour, audiences have been craving concert experiences where they get to see their favorite music artists at the top of their game.

General tickets for the 'One Hallelujah' tour will be available beginning Wednesday, December 13th at Ticketmaster.com.

To stay up to date on all the information coming the tour, text “TOUR” to (404)-948-5620 for the presale code and instant access to tickets!

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Concert Movie) – Release Date, Runtime & Everything You Need To Know

As taylor swift continues her massive global eras tour, audiences are given a front-row seat to watch a performance on the big screen this october..

Ghezal Amiri

Official JustWatch writer

Watch it now

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names in the music industry. Her 2022 album Midnights marked the tenth entry into her impressive discography and kickstarted the beginning of her Eras tour in March 2023. While on tour across the United States and Mexico, the 12-time Grammy winner pleasantly surprised fans on August 31 with an announcement of the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert movie. Tickets went on sale (and immediately sold out) that same day.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie is clearly the hottest event of this fall season. Here is everything you need to know about it movie before heading to the theater.

What to know about Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (concert movie)

The Eras tour takes audiences on a captivating musical journey spanning all of Taylor Swift’s unique "eras", paying homage to each of her albums. These albums are 2006's Taylor Swift, Fearless in 2008, 2010's Speak Now, Red in 2012, 1989 in 2014, 2017's Reputation, Lover in 2019, 2020's Folkmore and Evermore, and Midnights in 2022. You can expect to witness her perform some of the most celebrated songs within her catalogue including "Love Story", "Blank Space", and "Anti-Hero."

The movie offers audiences the opportunity to experience the wildly anticipated concert they might not have had the chance to see in person. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie filmed the initial trio of performances at SoFi Stadium in early August. As shown in the concert movie, this huge Los Angeles venue drew an astounding crowd of nearly half a million fans.

As the official concert movie for her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift wants fans to have an authentic concert experience when watching the movie in theaters. When she initially announced it on X, Taylor suggested that fans should dress up in their best Eras attire, wear friendship bracelets and participate in singing and dancing, just like they would at a live show: "The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon. Starting Oct 13th you’ll be able to experience the concert film in theaters in North America! Tickets are on sale now at http:// taylor.lnk.to/TSTheErasTourF ilm … . Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged. 1, 2, 3 LGB!!!! (iykyk)"

Where can I watch Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?

If you are in the united states:.

AMC theaters have entered into an exclusive agreement with Swift, allowing only their locations in the United States to screen The Eras Tour movie starting October 13. Canadian theaters will screen the movie as well.

Within minutes of theater tickets for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour being released, the AMC app crashed with fans attempting to buy advance tickets for the movie. This marks the second instance this year where Swifties caused a major website to malfunction, with the first being during the sale for the actual Eras Tour itself. AMC is currently promoting exciting additions for your cinematic experience including Eras Tour-themed popcorn buckets for $14.99+tax and drink cups for $11.99+tax. Exclusive cardigans have, unfortunately, still not been announced.

If you are outside of the United States:

On Tuesday 26th September, 2023, tickets for the official Eras tour concert movie were announced in over 100 countries around the world. Taylor Swift made the announcement on Instagram, sharing that the film will be in theaters in those countries from October 13, 2023.

"The tour isn’t the only thing we’re taking worldwide…….. 🌎 Been so excited to tell you all that The Eras Tour concert film is now officially coming to theaters WORLDWIDE on Oct 13! Tickets available now at www.TSTheErasTourFilm.com or on your local theaters website!"

Tickets were available immediately after the Instagram post went live. AMC have struck a deal with sub-distribution partners for more than 7,500 movie theatres in order to show the film in theaters around the world. Across Europe, the concert movie will be playing at Odeon theaters. Odeon also announced a special pricing for the event:

"In a nod to Taylor Swift’s 1989 album and her favourite number, 13, tickets in the UK and Ireland will be priced at £19.89 / €19.89 for adults and £13.13 / €13.13 for children."

Will The Eras Tour be on Netflix?

Despite the concert movie's cinematic release on October 13, there has been no announcement about where to stream Taylor Swift: The Era Tour online. Until further notice, the movie is available exclusively in theaters. However, given the record-breaking demand for tickets, it is very likely fans will be able to watch The Eras Tour on streaming services after its theatrical run ends.

You can choose to get notified by JustWatch when a streaming release date is announced by heading to Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour and hitting the notification bell.

How long is Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?

While an Eras Tour concert typically lasts over three hours on average, the official length of the concert movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes. This makes it much longer than previous Taylor Swift concert movies, such as Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour which is 2 hours and 5 mins.

Who is the director of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour?

Grammy-nominated Sam Wrench is the director of the upcoming concert movie. He earned the coveted nomination for directing Billie Eilish Live At The O2 in 2023. Wrench is best known for his ability in capturing the electrifying essence of a live music event, having also worked on Lizzo: Live in Concert and BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage - LA . He boasts an impressive resume filled with projects from some of the biggest names in the industry including Mary J. Blige, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

What records did Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour break?

Taylor Swift just keeps adding to her impressive list of record-breaking achievements. The Eras Tour movie shattered the record for the most money made from advance ticket sales in a single day at AMC Theaters, raking in a whopping $26 million. This surpasses the previous record-holder, 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home , by $10 million. Fans achieved this record-breaking feat in just three hours, beating Avengers: Endgame 's record for the most tickets sold within the first 24 hours.

The Eras Tour movie is expected to have an incredible opening weekend, with a projected range of $100-125 million. The top five movies for the year's opening weekends include Barbie , The Super Mario Bros. Movie , Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania . These range between between $162 million to $106 million, which means the upcoming concert movie has the potential to have one of the best opening weekends of 2023.

Furthermore, the sudden announcement of the movie's release date caused other titles to change their release dates. The Exorcist: Believer , originally slated for the same day, will now premiere a week earlier. Producer Jason Blum playfully tweeted, "Look what you made me do. The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23.”

What are the other Taylor Swift concert movies?

For those who simply cannot calm down before the release of the movie, there have been a number of projects featuring exclusive access to Swift’s concerts that are available to watch right now. These include The 1989 World Tour Live, which was released on Apple Music in 2015, and 2018’s Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour which is available to stream on Netflix. There were also DVD releases of Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless in 2010 and Speak Now World Tour – Live the following year.

Swifties alike must ultimately tolerate this Cruel wait with their Gorgeous Style they know Belongs to them. On the Bejeweled side, there are only a few weeks left before they are united by the greatest Love Story on the big screen: Taylor Swift with her Swifties. They are undeniably Ready For It.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will be released in theaters on October 13, 2023.

Exclusive Mixes

Inclusive Party Brand HE.SHE.THEY. is Heading Back to North America

Photo Credit: Isabel Flores @laskimal

HE.SHE.THEY. has unveiled phase one of their North American tour, featuring TDJ, Hiroko Yamamura, Neggy Gemy , and more!

The US has something mighty fine to look forward to as it has just been announced that London-based HE.SHE.THEY. is coming with the beats. As a diverse and fully inclusive international brand with a focus on music, fashion, art, and culture, attendees can expect creativity to be firing on another level when they step into the event space.

Here’s what HE.SHE.THEY. has prepared for phase one of their North American tour…

First up is a stop at PRYSM in Chicago , IL , on December 8 . This doesn’t leave too much time to plan! But it’s a party you’re going to want to be a part of because trance producer TDJ , 100% Electronica ‘s own Neggy Gemy , and the genre-blurring Zorza and X-Coast are bringing the heat!

Next, the brand will close out the year at It’ll Do Club in Dallas , TX , on December 30 . Stepping up to the decks will be Chicago’s house and techno ambassador Hiroko Yamamura and It’ll Do Club resident Red Eye . Moving a bit further into the new year, Brooklyn , NY , will get in on the action with the full lineup on the way for the February 17 booking at Superior Ingredients .

We’re thrilled to further our mission of inclusivity throughout the U.S. into and during 2024. HE.SHE.THEY. is all about unity through music and creating a welcoming space for all, a mission which feels more important than ever right now in the world. From the biggest clubs to intimate spaces, we want to bring people together and spread love through music. Stay tuned for what’s next! HE.SHE.THEY.

But wait, there’s more! The tour will be accompanied by a documentary in collaboration with Beatport , highlighting some serious issues in the industry. While we wish these weren’t a part of the modern world, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming, racism, and misogyny are running rampant. The documentary, coming to Amazon Prime and YouTube , aims to educate so that we can have an even more inclusive and peaceful future under the lasers and lights. Stay locked into socials for more information.

Tickets for HE.SHE.THEY.’s North American tour are on sale now ! Stay tuned for phase two dates and lineup, coming soon!

HE.SHE.THEY. North American Tour – Phase One:

Follow HE.SHE.THEY.:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Maria Clinton

Maria first fell in love with electronic music in the early 2000's when she heard a little tune called "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi. Since then she has dived headfirst into the scene and is wildly passionate about the trance, techno, and house genres. Festival's like EDC, Dreamstate, and Dirtybird Campout hold the key to her soul and dance music will always and forever be a major part of her life.

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Tour Route Example (Lizzo US + Europe Tour)

Mechanics • 20 min read

The Mechanics of Touring: How the Live Music Industry Works

By Dmitry Pastukhov

Published April 28, 2019

The Live Music Industry: An Overview

Key players in the touring industry, artists and managers, booking agents, tour managers and technicians, festivals & venues, label & publisher, the touring cycle, 1. finding the talent, 2. building the tour strategy and producing the show, 3. booking the tour, 4. selling the tickets, 5. preparations, 6. the day x, 7. the show, tour simulation, tour gross revenue.

Touring makes up a huge portion of an artist’s life and the lion’s share of the industry’s revenues. At the same time, it is the only part of the music career that remains 99% “physical” in what is otherwise the digital-first industry. While some of the artists can easily reach millions of fans via streaming, putting together an international tour for the same crowd is an extremely complicated process.

Despite the rise of digital streaming platforms, make no mistake, live music is still the cash cow of the industry. Even though streaming revenue is expected to grow to $23 billion by 2022, by that same year the live music industry is projected to reach a whopping $31 billion in global value. Global live music revenue continues to increase (with the substantial portion of this growth attributed to the worldwide explosion of EDM festivals, which we've traced in our analyses of Chinese and Indian markets). At the same time, if we take a look at the well-established music economies, a recent Nielsen study found that 52% of Americans attend live shows at least once a year.

Nevertheless, the touring industry’s decentralized and network-based system remains a complex landscape to navigate: artists often work with dozens of local promoters, booking agents and venues in the course of a single tour. So, let’s start with the basics and identify all of the parties that are usually involved in a mid-sized tour:

Artists and their managers are the crucial elements of the live business. As we’ve laid out in our Mechanics of Management , manager’s role is to build and coordinate the artist’s team on all sides of the music industry, and that, of course, includes the concert business. The artist’s management usually takes part in the initial route planning, helps the artist pick the touring team, and serves as a bridge between the live entertainment and all other sides of the artist’s career.

The job of the booking agent itself is very easy to define: the agent represents the artist across the live industry. Their goal is to book the tour and sell the shows to the local talent buyers, finding the venue and negotiating the price. The booking deal is usually pretty straightforward: “an artist A, represented by the agent B, commits to play an N-minute show in the venue C on the day X for a $Y. ” A good agent is the one who’s able to get all those As, Bs and Cs right — so that the venue is sold out, but there are no fans left without a ticket; the artist gets paid well, but the promoter doesn’t feel cheated, and so on. While the deal is relatively simple, it’s hard to nail all the details — especially given the fact that the show are usually booked from 8 to 24 months in advance, depending on the scope of the venue.

Promoters are the side of the live business that funds the tour and buys the shows. The landscape of concert promotion is complex, and promoters themselves come in various shapes and sizes. To make it a bit simpler, imagine that promoter is a middle-man, connecting the concert space and the artist to put together a show. You can start building that bridge from either side, however.

Tour promoters set out from the artist side, contracting musicians to perform a series of concerts, paying for rehearsals, audiovisual production, covering the travel expenses and so on. Once the show is ready, tour promoters, working closely with the artist’s booking agent, either rent venues themselves or subcontract (read: sell) the shows to the local promoters (or a mixture of both).

Local promoters, in their turn, embark from a concert space. Affiliated, or at least connected with local venues and performance spaces, they buy gigs from the agents and/or tour promoters to own the ticket sales. An art-director of a small club, a local group of party promoters, a team of the major US festival — all those event promoters of different scope would fall into that category.

In that context, the role of the agent becomes clear. If promoters are the middle-men on the side of an artist or a concert space, the agent is the middle-man between the middle-men, who builds up the network of promoters (on both fronts) and artists, serving as a liaison between all sides.

However, some of the biggest tours today can be put together without the agent’s involvement. One of the main shifts in the live business is the consolidation of tour and local promoters under the umbrella of entertainment conglomerates, with the most notable examples of Live Nation and AEG .

Essentially, these companies have grown their operation to the point where they can build the bridge from both sides, internalizing all the processes. They both produce the concert tours and own (or, at least, establish partnerships with) a vast network of clubs and arenas, providing venues for the tour. Live Nation, AEG and alike can now create centralized international tours, offering artists 360° deals. However, touring under such exclusive promotion remains reserved for the artists of the top echelon — so most of the shows out there are still put together in collaboration between the tour promoters, booking agents and local partners.

Tour managers that stay on the road with the artist's crew are the oil that makes the wheels of the tour spin. Even a nationwide tour involves extremely complex logistics, and it becomes exponentially harder to manage the travel as the tour passes onto an international level. For the first-tier acts, staying on the road with the artist crew, technicians and 30 trucks worth of equipment can cost up to $750k per day . The goal of the tour manager is to make sure that the money doesn't go down the drain when the artist’s bus breaks down in Nowhere, Oklahoma . Getting the band from point A to point B seems to be a pretty straightforward job, but in fact, the routine of the tour manager is dealing with unexpected and solving a dozen of new problems each day — all while keeping the artists happy and ready to perform. To give you a taste of an international tour route, here's an approximate map of the Lizzo's tour in support of "Cuz I Love You" release, stretching over 64 locations and 74,575 km — and that is just the straight routs, not accounting for the actual roadways.

"Cuz I Love You" tour route, 30.04.2019 — 28.10.2019 (interactive version available here )

Tour managers also run the technician crew, and, while the technical support of the tour is often overlooked, the fact is that behind every show there’s a team that turns the performance into an audiovisual experience that the audience has paid to see. It takes hard work and expertise to assemble the stage, set up the lights and the sound system, etc. The live industry relies on the tech crew to make the show actually happen.

Festivals and venues are at the very core of the live business, providing the space and (usually) the base infrastructure for the show. As we've already mentioned, there’s often a great deal of vested interest between local promoters and performance spaces. That means that there’s usually a local promoter “attached” to the venue, and same goes for music festivals.

Outdoor events are a distinct part of the live performance landscape. Operated by promotion groups, prominent festivals can introduce artists to new audiences, both in terms of fans and music industry executives — all while offering a fat pay-check. A major festival performance puts the artist on the map, and the promotional effect of the show itself has to be considered. It can become even more important than the immediate monetary gain — especially for independent, up-and-coming artists. That’s why the tour routing will often be structured around a couple of big music festivals — and then filled up with solo concerts along the way. A good example is Coachella: as the event takes place over two separate weekends, most of the Coachella artists also book “side-gigs” around the area during the in-between week.

Although recording and publishing industries are not directly engaged in the live business, we have to remember that the music industry is built on collaboration . By convention, most music tours follow the release of an album, and each artist has to report his set after the show to PROs so that the proper songwriters get paid. The music industry is made up of separate companies and people working on the different parts of the artist career — and, while not completely aligned, they are always interconnected.

The six key parties described above work together to bring the live show to the concert-goers. However, it’s important to mention that they won’t always be represented by separate entities. Often some of the roles will be internalized by the different sides of the touring chain: independent artists and their management might produce the tour themselves, internalizing the job of the tour promoter; conglomerate promoters, as we’ve mentioned, can now offer exclusive touring deals; and so on. That said, in the next section we will go through the tour cycle step by step to showcase how all these players interact to create the tour. As it usually is in the music industry, it all starts with the artist.

On the first step, agents and tour promoters find and sign the performer. This process is not much different from the scouting of recording or publishing A&Rs, although the criteria might differ. For some types of artists (like DJs, for example) touring can be relatively huge, while the recording revenues might stay almost non-existent. Agents and A&Rs look for different things in the artist, but the essence of scouting remains the same across the board — identify and sign the promising acts before anyone else does.

There’s another twist to talent hunting in the live industry that is probably worth mentioning. As an average show has to be booked 9-10 months in advance, tour deals are usually signed around a year prior to the actual performance. At the same time, the vast majority of concert tours follow the recording releases to build up the momentum and ride the promotion wave. That has one unavoidable implication: tour promoters and agents sign the artist to perform the material which is not written yet, which can be quite risky.

That is especially true when it comes to the debut artists, that might not even have a 40-minute set or any solid live performance skills when they get their first touring deal. There is a lot of gut feeling that goes into scouting on the live industry side — more than in the recording business at least, where licensing deals allowed labels to mediate the risks of the creative stage.

Once the artist is on board, it’s time to produce the show and define the tour strategy and routing. At this step, the tour promoter starts the preparations: building the light show and live visual materials, booking rehearsal sessions to perfect the live performance, and so on. Meanwhile, the artist, manager, agent and tour promoter work out a general timeframe and draft an approximate route of the future tour. The initial tour planning is usually done around priority shows, like major city performances or music festivals, while the rest of the route is defined in broad strokes. Unless we’re talking about the top-tier, established artists, the tour will always follow a recording release. Once the initial planning is over, the tour strategy will be defined in terms of “The artist will play a priority city/music festival in a specific area N weeks after the release”.

Ones the initial route is set out, the agent goes on to book the tour, pitching the show to local promoters and festivals. Starting with the priority shows and then filling in the details, the tour route gradually takes its final form. The agent negotiates with local promoters to pick out an optimal venue (in terms of volume, style, conditions, etc.) to host the show. As Tom Windish, a senior executive of Paradigm Talent Agency mentioned in our recent interview , picking the right venue is perhaps the hardest part of booking a tour: the material is not out yet, and there’s no way to predict the reception of the release that’s almost a year ahead. Go for a small but safe venue — and you risk losing potential ticket sales and disappointing the fans; go big, and you might end up in a half-empty room, losing on the investment and leaving every side of the deal disappointed. The agent has to make risky decisions in a situation of uncertainty, and given the venue landscape in some of the regions, sometimes that means choosing between a venue capacity of 500 and 2000 for what is reasonably a 1000-ticket show.

As for the conditions and splits of the booking contract, generally local promoters, tour promoters, and artists will split the net profits of the show. Artists might also get a flat fee to ensure they'll make some money even if all other parties do their job poorly. Usually, the more the flat fee, the less the artist’s share of the net profits (and vice versa). In that sense, the structure of the contract splits often reflects the artist's risk appetite: some artists self-produce the tour, sacrifice the flat fees and end up getting almost 100% of the net. Others might ask for a higher "safety" fee, lowering both the profits of the tour and their own stake in it. Booking agents, in their turn, earn a flat percentage on the revenues ‘on top’ (though they might put their share back in the pot if the tour doesn’t turn out a profit). That might be a lot to take in, but don't worry, we will get back to the splits and give you a clear example with a tour simulation you can find below .

Once the tour is booked, it’s the time to promote it and sell the tickets. On paper, the ball is in the promoter’s court here, but in reality the marketing of the tour is carried out in close collaboration between all the sides — from managers and booking agents to the artists' record labels. Concert marketing is a topic worthy of a separate article, but if we were to simplify things, it could be separated into two main parts.

First is the overarching tour marketing, implemented by the tour promoter and synchronized with the record release. The tour marketing campaign utilizes wide communication channels to promote the tour in general rather than a particular show. Second is the regional marketing owned by the local promoters, which aims to boost the sales of a specific show, focusing on narrow communication channels, like radio, OOH and locally targeted digital advertising.

As far as the actual ticketing strategy is concerned, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so most teams go through long and numerous meetings to define tit There's a lot of decisions to be made when settling the details of the ticketing strategy — especially as technology has put new tools into the hands of promoters — but generally accepted sales process follows an “announcement → pre-sale → general sale” pattern. First, the tour is announced through the label- or artist-owned channels. That announcement is both a chance to communicate the tour to the wide audience and build up the artist’s CRM-base by nudging fans to leave their contacts to get notified when tickets go on sale. On the live event market, the buying intent might not realize itself on the first day — so having direct contact with fans and growing the artist's CRM-base is a key tool in the hands of the industry.

Then, the pre-sale takes place: first, reaching out directly to fans in the CRM database — after all, artist-fan relationships are one of the most important assets of an artist, and a fan pre-sale ensures that engaged followers will be able to get tickets to the show. Pre-sale strategy might also involve sales through “preferred partners”, focusing on direct sales through systems like American Express PreSales in the U.S., or even Spotify, that allows to reach the artist’s fans and followers across the tour route based on their listening habits and geo-location. Finally, to complete the pre-sale, local promoters can also use the local communication channels, like CRM-base of the venue and local airplay.

All the pre-sale strategies have two primary objectives. Firstly, based on the pre-sale figures (and historical concert attendance data), the promoter can roughly tell how the show is going to sell in general — and adjust the marketing campaign accordingly. Secondly, pre-sale through reasonably closed off channels can help to mediate the problem of the secondary ticket market. In fact, most of the ticketing strategies aim to sell as many seats as possible before putting the show on the general sale. Ticketing platforms like Songkick, BandsinTown or Seated allow promoters to reach the widest audience but they also puts the show at risk of selling out to the scalper bots in a matter of hours. This is especially true for the biggest artists out there — the more the demand for the show, the more attention it's going to get from the scalpers.

At this point, the tickets are on sale and the date is coming up, but there are still a lot of details to cover to make the show actually happen. Carrying out a 100-show tour means getting the artist and his tour team to a hundred different locations across the globe — all while staying on a tight budget and an even tighter schedule. Then, you have to make sure that every step of the way the artist has the infrastructure to do the actual show. Big tours are extremely complicated logistics, that require a lot of planning (usually carried out by the tour manager, affiliated with the tour promoters). Plane tickets, car rental, backline equipment shipping — this is just a fraction of what needs to be taken care of before reaching the venue.

The venue is (hopefully) sold out, the material is well-rehearsed, the equipment is delivered to the club — but the show is still to be done. Someone has to set up the sound, check tickets at the door, take care of the security, prepare the guest list and set up the bar. This routine can seem insignificant at times, but in fact, a solid on-site setup is a must if you want the audience to enjoy the performance. Surely all of us can remember that one concert with that hour-long queue, delayed performance and warm beer at the bar — a poor concert organization can ruin even the best of shows. Making sure that the concert goes smoothly is a group effort of the tour crew and the local promoter's team, from tour managers and technicians to local sound engineers and the venue stuff.

Finally, one year, tens of thousands of kilometers and thousands of man-hours later, the artist will go on stage. Then, the team will get back on the road to repeat steps 5 through 7 over and over again, until the final row of the tour announcement is crossed out. The artist will eventually get back in the studio and start working on the new material, while tour promoters and agents will begin planning the next tour. That’s the tour life .

To conclude the Mechanics of Touring, we want to share with you an example of how the tour budget and profits are structured. Below, you will find a somewhat simplified (yet accurate at its core) budget simulation of an averaged tour. While the actual “business plan” will be much more detailed, the data below should give you a good idea of who pays for the tour and who ends up making money on it.

Total Fixed and Variable Costs

So, the tour has fixed costs of 70,000€, which have to be covered regardless of the tour length, and variable costs of 7,000€, per show. Such costs structure means that (and this is true for practically every tour) we will enjoy the scale effect , as total costs per show (calculated as (FC+ VC*N)/N, where FC is Fixed Costs, VC — Variable Costs and N is the Number of shows in the tour) will go down as the tour grows, due to the depreciation of the fixed costs.

Total costs per show, for 10-150 concerts in a tour.

To go forward with the simulation, we will assume that the shows of the tour are all booked at the same price (which is never the case due to the difference in the local ticket prices, venue and market capacity, and other specifics). However, to simplify things, we will use the following revenue structure:

Guarantee per show = 8,000€

Bonus if sold out = 2,000€

If we plotted the tour’s total profits as a function of the number of shows, P/L = (Revenue per show * N) - (FC+VC*N), we would get the following:

Tour P&L (overall profit/loss before splits)

As the total costs per show go down against a constant revenue, the tour turns a profit, breaking even at the 24th and 70th show for “Sold Out” and “Not Sold Out” scenarios accordingly.

Then the time comes to divvy up the profits. First of all, the agent takes a share of all revenues “on top”. In this simulation, we will use a 15% split for the agent. So, if the tour is made up of 100 sold out shows, the agent would get (10,000*100)*15% = €150,000 in fees. However, it’s not customary in the music industry for one side of the deal to make money while the rest are losing. So, usually, the agent won’t take their share if the tour doesn’t turn a profit. But what if the tour makes a bit of money, but not enough to cover the agent’s 15% “on top”?

There are a couple of roads the agent might take in that case, cutting their share down to 5% or taking a percentage of the profits, rather than revenue, but for purposes of this simulation, we will assume that the agent will take their part of the share, but won’t put the promoter back in the red. So, if the tour has made €5K in NET profits by selling out 25 shows, the agent will take €5,000 instead of agreed upon (25*10,000)*15% = €37,500.

Tour promoter will take a share of the NET profits (Total Revenue — Agent’s Share — Costs). That would mean that, although the tour itself will break even on a 24th show in the Song Out scenario, the tour promoter will start making money only after the 47th show (once the agent is fully compensated). If we assume the tour promoter’s share at 20%, on a 100-show, sold out tour they will make ((10,000*100*0,85) - (70,000 + 7,000*100)) * 0,2 = €16,000 . It might seem that the promoters get the short end of the stick here, but in fact, they will often make quite a bit of money in the venue itself on things like bar and parking. This can be a substantial or even primary revenue stream for the promoter, but we’ll have to leave it out of the scope of the simulation for the sake of simplicity.

As for the artist , they will earn a flat fee (in this simulation €1,000 per show) as well as the remaining 80% of the tour’s NET. This sum will make up the artist gross, which in its turn will be divided between the artist and the management (an average manager’s share is around 15% ). So, for a 100-show tour the artist gross will be: (100*1,000) + ((10,000*100*0,85) - (70,000 + 7,000*100)) * 0,8 = €164,000 , which would then be split 85:15 between the artist ( €139,400 ) and the manager ( €24,600 ).

Tour profits distribution, by party

Of course, the actual tour will be much more complicated than in the simulation above. However, it should give you a good idea of how the tour is structured and budgeted. That’s it for this episode of Mechanics, but don’t worry — we’ll keep working to bring you insights on other parts of the music industry. If you liked this article, take a look at our Mechanics of the Music Industry to get the overview of the topics we covered so far — and the ones we plan to cover in the future.

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Dmitry Pastukhov

Content creator for Soundcharts. Deciphering the music business so you don't have to.

December 31, 2023 • 12 min read

January 1, 2024 • 14 min read

How Concert Tours Work

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How profitable are concert tours? Very, if the performers are major artists with fans eager to see them. Newcomer Miley Cyrus, for example, brought in $45.3 million from her 70-show Best of Both Worlds concert tour in 2007 and 2008. Tickets sold out in minutes as fans of her "Hannah Montana" TV show vied for the chance to see the teen star perform live during her first music tour [source: MTV News ].

But Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, on stage for four decades, hold the record for most profitable tour. Their worldwide A Bigger Bang tour ran from 2005 into 2007 and grossed $558 million [source: Billboard ].

Neither Mick nor Miley is relying on concerts alone for income. Their music tours both followed the release of a new album -- "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus" for Miley and "A Bigger Bang" for the Rolling Stones -- and both earned more from concert films released after the tours. Disney's 3-D "Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" film grossed more than $65.3 million before being aired on cable TV, while Martin Scorsese's "Shine a Light" documentary on the Stones' tour grossed $5.3 million [sources: Conde Nast Portfolio , Rolling Stone and Billboard ].

What about performers more distant from sudden fame and reigning stardom? How complicated are concert tours to put together and are they worth the effort? What kind of planning is needed, and how do you work with concert promoters or tour promoters, negotiate a touring schedule and hire a tour crew? Keep reading to find out, starting with the initial planning you'll need to do.

Initial Planning of a Concert Tour

Working with concert promoters, negotiating a concert tour schedule, hiring a concert tour crew.

Think your band is ready to start touring, or are you not sure whether a concert tour should be in your immediate future? Planning and performing during a music tour are complicated and time consuming. Probably the first thing you'll want to do is make sure you can answer that question with a strong "Yes!"

To reach a decision, you'll want to consider factors such as:

Do we have enough material ready to perform on a tour?
Can we handle the rigors of travel and the challenge of playing that material every night as if it's fresh and new?
Do we have a reason to tour now -- like a new CD to promote? Do we have copies of CDs to sell if we are on tour?
Are we getting enough club bookings and a strong enough response from fans to indicate that they will buy tickets to our concerts?
Can we get along well enough with each other to survive a tour together?
What do we want out of a tour -- greater exposure for the band, bigger paychecks for the band members or something else?

Miley Cyrus and the Rolling Stones aside, if you expect to make a lot of money off concert tours, you're likely to be disappointed. By the time the venue, concert promoter and ticket vendor take their cuts, equipment rentals and crew are paid, and transportation and living costs are covered, there may not be as much for the band as you'd expect. That's not even considering sliding CD sales and the move to digital music.

Limited profitability is nothing new for touring bands. Gerald Casale, a founding member of Devo, recalls that band members only earned $12,000 each from the new wave group's Freedom of Choice tour, which grossed $2 million during the group's heyday in 1980 -- and the take would have been even less if T-shirts hadn't sold well. The group began touring again in 2004 [source: Billboard ].

If you've decided you're ready to tour, the next step is preliminary planning, probably led by your band's manager. Here are some questions to consider:

In which geographic area and at what specific cities and venues do you want to perform? What is your tentative itinerary?
What specific performing needs do you have in terms of instruments and musical equipment?
What specific stage, sound engineering and lighting needs do you have?
How much equipment will the band bring along, and how much will you need to have ready at the venue?
How many crew members will you need to have on site, and what skills or training do they need?
What's your tentative budget for the tour, including employee pay and equipment costs?
What are your limits in tour length and number of shows?

Once you have considered these basics, you need someone who can connect you with your audience. Perhaps your band has a music agent who handles your bookings. But whether you do or not, you or your agent needs to work through a concert promoter, or tour promoter, to put together a tour. Let's look next at what concert promoters do and how to work with them.

Veteran performers continued to dominate the Top 10 list in 2007. Only Josh Grobin and Rascal Flatts started touring after 2000. The average ticket price for the Top 100 concert tours was $61, up 8 percent from $57 a year earlier.

The Police, $133.2 million
Kenny Chesney, $71.1 million
Justin Timberlake, $70.6 million
Celine Dion, $65.3 million
Van Halen, $56.7 million
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, $52.3 million
Rod Stewart, $49 million
Genesis, $47.6 million
Josh Groban, $43 million
Rascal Flatts, $41.5 million

[source: Pollstar ]

You could try to set up your concert tour, but you probably wouldn't get very far. Tour venues work with -- or are even owned by -- concert promoters, also known as tour promoters. You'll usually need a signed contract with a tour promoter to set up a tour.

A tour promoter organizes a live music tour and makes sure it's profitable. That can include presenting, advertising and even financing concerts at arenas, clubs, auditoriums, festivals and other special events. The promoter finds the talent, the venue and on-site labor, and then handles advertising, marketing and possibly even ticket sales for the tour [sources: Berklee College of Music and Full Sail ].

The biggest national promoters of music tours are Live Nation and AEG Live. Live Nation has begun signing major performers -- including Madonna, Nickelback, Shakira and Jay-Z -- to multi-year 360 contracts that can cover virtually all of the artist's output. This includes everything from music, concert tours and merchandise to endorsements and broadcast rights [source: Bloomberg ].

Don't expect a 360 contract or a contract from a major concert promoter. These companies want well-known stars whose value should hold for the contract length -- which, in Madonna's case, is 10 years. Taking a chance on an up-and-coming band may be far too risky financially [source: The American ].

Instead, your band's manager or music agent will sit down with a regional promoter to discuss the terms of a live music tour. Here are some ideas for finding a concert promoter:

Start with who you know. Word-of-mouth references may lead you to a promoter.
Check industry publications like Billboard and Pollstar , the concert industry trade publication, for ads and articles. Pollstar also sells industry directories listing information for booking agencies, concert venues and concert support services.
Check with venues where you'd like to play to see which promoters work with them.

Once you've found possible promoters, have your manager or agent contact them with information about your band, including genre, background, previous club and tour experience and a CD of your music.

If a promoter offers your band work through your manager, the next step is hammering out a contract covering the tour. The standard contract is the American Federation of Musicians' AFM Performance Agreement. Riders can be attached to handle specific tour details. While the contract itself is usually short, covering payment, profit splits, dates and locations, the rider may be 10 pages or more. Here are some details covered in a rider:

Promoter's expenses
Ticket selling policies, including how complimentary tickets will be handled
Headline billing rights for signs and publicity
An equipment breakdown detailing what'll be rented by the promoter vs. provided by the band
A breakdown of local crew that'll need to be hired
Dressing rooms, security, catering and travel
Cancellation policies

[source: Donald S. Passman and Randy Glass ]

Price isn't the only important part of a tour arranagement. You also need to agree on a tour schedule. Keep reading to learn more.

Once you've worked out a price, split percentage and other concert details with the concert promoter, you still need to agree on a daily work schedule for your band's concert tour.

Take a careful look at the schedule the tour promoter offers for the music tour. You'll want to make sure that:

The tour venues follow a geographically logical way instead of resembling a criss-cross, connect-the-dot pattern of overlapping routes
Enough travel time is built in, allowing for traffic and weather conditions, so that the band has time to set up and do any necessary rehearsing before a concert
Days off are worked into the schedule to give the band and crew time to recuperate after a number of hard days of concerts and travel.

Keep in mind, too, that concert tours involve a lot more than setting up, rehearsing and playing for an audience. A promoter or record label is likely to want the band to also do local promotions and interviews with media, meet with fans and sign autographs. There may be even more demands on band members' time.

You'll also want to be open to schedule changes. While the beginning of the tour may be thoroughly mapped out, the rest is likely to be more loosely scheduled. If not enough tickets are sold, one or more of the concert venues may drop out and be replaced with a concert in some other location. And if the tour turns out to be really successful, it may even be extended with additional concerts [source: MusicBizAcademy.com ].

Make your requests regarding the schedule, but in the words of Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want." Concert promoters are in business to make money, after all, and they want to keep a band working, not taking days off.

With schedule set and contract in hand, you're ready to get on the road again. Right? Well, not quite. You'll need a production manager and tour crew to take care of the logistics and set-up the equipment on the road. Keep reading to find out more.

CD sales are sliding, down 25 percent in 2008 from 2000. That has record labels, pop stars and lesser known bands looking to concert tours to augment income.

But higher gas prices and tighter money may get in the way for both bands and fans. Start-up bands forced to fill up low-mileage vans towing equipment need to make enough at a gig to recoup gas costs. And fans with less disposable cash may be reluctant to fork out money for concert tickets, particularly for big-name artists with seats selling for $75 and more.

Even beyond those economic realities, consider that:

The big-name stars that bring in the most fans are aging. The Rolling Stones and other heritage acts led the Top 10 grossing tours in 2006 and 2007. Out of the 20 acts, only Justin Timberlake and Christine Aguilera had yet to reach their 30th birthdays.
The older stars had a large common fan base, coming from Top 40 radio play and promotions and album sales, to fill concert halls. Today's young music enthusiasts have diverse music interests. They get their music from many different sources like cell phones, social networking sites, iTunes and Limewire and often don't even listen to traditional radio.

[sources: Chicago Tribune and The American ]

Even though a concert tour contract probably provides for some local crew at every stop on the tour, you'll want to have your own crew that travels with the band from venue to venue. This tour crew is invaluable because, unlike the local crew, they know the band, its show and its equipment, and they're there every step of the way to make sure the concerts go smoothly.

Here are some crew members and their responsibilities you'll want to have with you on your tour:

Tour manager or road manager: Manages travel arrangements, pays bills and handles problems as they occur while the band is touring.
Production manager : Supervises the technical crew and coordinates their work with that of the venue's local crew. Supervises moving equipment from one venue to the next, as well as setting it up and disassembling it.
Advance person : Arrives at each tour location before the band and crew to help the road manager and make sure advance arrangements have been handled correctly.
Stage manager: Controls performers' movements and crew on and off the stage; gives crew cues for the houselights.
Sound engineer : Operates the front of house console, which controls and mixes the sound the audience hears during a live performance.
Monitor engineer : Operates the monitor console, controlling the sound the band hears during a concert through on-stage or in-ear monitors.
Sound crew : Set up, disassemble and run sound equipment, as directed by the sound and monitor engineers.
Lighting operator : Operates the control console for the show and supervises the lighting crew.
Lighting crew : Sets up, runs and disassembles lighting equipment. May also handle special effects like smoke machines and hoists.
Backline crew : Sets up and manages performers' instruments and equipment.

[sources: Berklee College of Music and John Vasey]

As you hire crew to fill these positions, look for people who are:

Flexible and adaptable. Something can and undoubtedly will go wrong during a concert, and you'll need someone who can deal with the situation calmly and quickly.
Team players who get along with the band and other managers to reduce friction on the road.
Skilled at the jobs they do and very familiar with the equipment so that they can run it effectively in unfamiliar venues.
Committed enough to the band and the tour that they will put up with the inconveniences of being on the road and stick with the tour until the end.

Finally, if you're looking to make it on the concert scene, here's some advice from insiders:

Don't over-play the same clubs, or your ticket sales will start to drop off.
Recognize the difference between a recording session and a live performance and give the audience a show to remember.
Re-invent yourselves and freshen up your act over time, like Madonna and the Rolling Stones, to keep fans coming back year after year.

And a final word of advice: Be sure to explore all the potential revenue streams (such as band merchandise, fan clubs, licensing for TV shows and video games, and more) to add to tour income [source: The American ].

For lots more information about concert tours and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Lots More Information

All the Celebrities Who Have Attended Taylor Swift's Eras Tour So Far

preview for Taylor Swift’s Iconic Career Evolution

Since Taylor Swift's Eras Tour started on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, her sold-out shows have been the place to be and be seen for celeb Swifties. The pop icon has cultivated a number of high profile besties and they are coming out for her first tour in years.

Here are all the celebrities who have been caught singing along to their favorite Taylor Swift singles, or who have shamelessly posted themselves in her audience on their own Instagram, starting with the Emmas.

Emma Stone was there for opening night in Glendale, and a clip of her dancing went viral on TikTok as she sang to Swift's hit track “You Belong With Me.”

Over the video, the TikToker @oreoofficial wrote, “Emma Stone losing her gd mind over YBWM.”

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts was in Las Vegas for Swift's second stop, and was captured doing a singalong to “Style.”

Emma Watson

Emma Watson was the third Emma seen at the Eras tour, also in Las Vegas. She attended with Brendan Wallace, her ex-boyfriend she was last linked to in 2018. Would it be a Taylor Swift concert without some romantic intrigue?

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez stopped by her longtime friend Swift's Arlington, Texas show on April 1, dressed up like Swift's folklore era of course. Gomez shared photos on Instagram of her time at the show, writing, “Thank you bestie for having me and my sissy transport into your mystical, euphoric and special world. Proud to know you! love you forever and always.”

Gomez attended again during Swift's August 8 show in Los Angeles.

selena gomez at taylor swift's eras tour

Diplo admitted he’s a “motherf—ing Swiftie now” after checking out Swift's show in Las Vegas.

“I kinda know the lyrics,” he added in another post on his Instagram stories while grooving to “Anti-Hero.”

Shania Twain

Shania Twain posted herself dancing to the 1989 single “Blank Space” in Las Vegas, adding “What a show” in writing over her groovy moves.

Laura Dern brought her family to show and even took a pic with Swift afterwards. As the co-star of Swift’s music video “Bejeweled,” she obviously had special access.

“Celebrating our amazing buddy’s first show of tour. Extraordinary. Found family,” she captioned the post.

Dern attended her second Eras show in Los Angeles on August 8.

Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Pompeo brought her daughter Sienna to have the time of her life in Las Vegas.

The Haim sisters were going to be at an Eras Tour show eventually, since they'll be opening for her at another date. But they also just came by to watch.

NFL player J.J. Watt went with his family to the show and even broke down his thoughts about the experience with a little talk back on TikTok.

Marcus Mumford

Marcus Mumford, frontman to Mumford and Sons, actually joined Swift onstage to help perform Evermore ‘s “Cowboy Like Me” in Las Vegas.

“Last night in Vegas Marcus Mumford showed up and surprised the crowd with ‘Cowboy Like Me’ so like [mind blown emojis],” Swift captioned a photo of the big moment.

marcus mumford performs with taylor swift during night two of taylor swift the eras tour las vegas, nv

Chloë Grace Moretz

Chloë Grace Moretz was in Las Vegas and cutting loose, too.

Reese Witherspoon

The actress attended Swift's show in Nashville in May and shouted out the choreography and spectacle on Instagram.

“What a night to remember ! @taylorswift in front of 70,000 incredible fans,” Witherspoon wrote. “The stellar song choices , inspired choreography, other-worldly art design ... an incredible night to dance, sing and feel so much JOY .. thank you @taylorswift and the whole ERAS tour team for shining so bright tonight.”

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

Amidst reconciliation rumors, former couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were at MetLife Stadium for Swift's show on May 26. Fans grabbed photos that showed the pair arriving. Mendes was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans and Cabello had on a sexy black top with a deep neckline, and colorful slacks.

Cabello performed during Swift's previous Reputation tour, singing as the opener for her show. Mendes made a surprise appearance during one of Swift's concerts in Los Angeles, and was also featured on a remix from her album Lover.

Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi

Millie Bobby Brown and fiancé Jake Bongiovi headed to Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday June 30, for Swift's show at the city's Paycor Stadium. The couple were standing in the VIP section and Brown was dressed in monochrome pink with a glittering heart around one eye in reference to the singer's Lovers album era.

On Friday, July 28, Gigi Hadid watched her friend perform at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, California. She attended with her friend, make-up artist Patrick Ta on her Instagram Stores. In one pic they're taking a selfie and smiling at the camera.

In another, they showed off their Eras Tour concert bracelets, with Ha writing, “THE MOST MAGICAL NIGHT @taylorswift @gigihadid.”

Swift later shared a TikTok of driving a golf cart backstage as her dad followed on a segway. Hadid and Ta can be seen beside her.

Hadid also attended the Nashville show in May.

Mindy Kaling

Kaling let her daughter's first concert be Swift's Eras tour during Swift's Los Angeles stop. She shared reflections on Instagram. “Thank you so much @sofi and @taylorswift for the best first concert EVER for my daughter, Kit! She swapped friendship bracelets all night and got to hear her favorite Taylor song live, Cruel Summer! It was such a magical night.”

Brie Larson, Sarah Paulson, and Lupita Nyong'o

The three stars attended Swift's Los Angeles show together, with Larson posting Instagram Stories of them on August 3.

Anya Taylor Joy

Taylor Joy attended with her partner Malcolm McRae at Swift's August 9 Los Angeles show. She was spotted in the audience:

Sydney Sweeney

Sweeney was at Swift's August 9 show as well. She teased her girls' night there on her Instagram Stories:

Halsey attended Swift's August 9 show and shared her thoughts on social media.

Hilary Duff

Duff was seen in the VIP tent at Swift's August 9 show. She also attended the August 4 show.

The All Too Well music video star was seen at Swift's August 9 show. She was seated next to Anya Taylor Joy.

Karlie Kloss

Swift's former best friend shocked the internet when she was seen in the stands of Swift's August 9 show.

Lili Reinhart

The Riverdale star attended Swift's August 9 Los Angeles show too, thanking Spotify for hosting her.

Miranda Cosgrove

The iCarly star shared video of her dancing at Swift's August 9 Los Angeles show on her Instagram Story.

Kerry Washington

For Swift's final Los Angeles show, Kerry Washington dressed all in red and sahred her excitement on Instagram ahead of the concert, writing, “And by the way I'm going out tonight (Kerry's version) #RedEra #ErasTour ❤️”

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi

The couple dropped by Swift's who in Sydney, Australia, and even got a picture with their fav.

Rebel Wilson

Wilson is apparently a big fan of Sabrina Carpenter, too, who is touring with Swift as an opening act.

Barry Keoghan

The Saltburn actor was seen in Singapore in early March amidst rumors he is dating Carpenter.

In Australia, Perry got to see her “old friend” in concert.

BLACKPINK's Lisa

In a number of of photos and videos , Lisa can be seen walking through the National Stadium. The K-pop star was joined by her friends for the big night.

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PGA Tour surprising duo sits atop Zurich Classic of New Orleans leaderboard

Day 1 of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans saw fresh faces on top of the leaderboard as they went low to set the tone.

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Zurich Classic of New Orleans, PGA Tour, Mark Hubbard, Ryan Brehm

Two duos went low at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as Patton Kizzire and his partner Ben Kholes are tied with Mark Hubbard and Ryan Brehm.

Each team fired off bogey-free 11-under 61s to lead by one shot over three teams at 10-under, as of this writing.

Kizzire and Kholes made six birdies on the front nine to make the turn in 30 shots. Coming home, they added four birdies between holes 10-14. The duo birdied the 18th to come home in 31 strokes to cap off a strong first round.

“Well, we came out of the gates both playing really well, both birdieing the same holes. Ideally, we’d like to mix it up. But we started well and just kept it going,” Kizzire said. “Whenever one of us needed the other, we stepped up and ham-and-egged it. He was a fantastic partner. I needed him out there, and he stepped up.”

Both have played at the Zurich Classic, but it is their first time together.

“It’s pretty fun just getting out here, and like he said, having a partner. Not something we get to do hardly ever. It’s fun kind of leaning on someone else and having that camaraderie out there,” Kholes said.

Day 2 will feature a new format in Alternate-shot, which can be difficult. However, for this duo, the game plan will remain the same.

“Just trying to put ourselves in the best spots that we can and picking each other up when something doesn’t go right,” Kholes said. “That’s all you can do. Just stay in the moment and hit the best shot you can at each point, and we’ll see where that puts us.”

They were not the only players to find success; they matched Hubbard and Brehm for the low round of the day.

Teams that also performed well in the Four-Ball format on Thursday were Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak, who posted a 10-under 62.

One of the Canadian duos, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith, are two shots back after they carded a 9-under 63. Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala finished Day 1 with a 7-under 65.

The betting favorites coming into the week , Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, settled for a 7-under 65 to sit four shots behind the leaders.

The afternoon wave got a little more wind on the golf course than the morning groups, but a few groups were poised to go low. Keith Mitchell and Joel Dahmen are 7-under through 11 holes. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are also 7-under through 10 holes to start the back nine.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

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What is a Tour Manager and what do they do?

As long as artists continue recording and releasing their music, there will always be live music performance and touring - locally, domestically, and internationally.

And with touring comes the need for one of the most important jobs in the live music industry - tour management.

This article will help you clarify who a tour manager is and what they do on a daily basis.

What is a Tour Manager?

Our definition of a tour manager is:

A non gender specific person who travels city to city with an artist, author, speaker, crew, or other VIP to manage their travel, income, expenses, touring personnel, media interactions, and to help facilitate anything else necessary to execute each show or event. (For the sake of this article, we’ll assume the tour manager is working with a musical artist to execute a live show)

At the most basic level, a tour manager is simply the person who handles or oversees almost every aspect of the lives and routines of musicians and bands while they are on tour. In other words, a tour manager ‘runs the show’ while the band is on the road.

Tour managers travel with the artist to ensure that the tour operates smoothly and punctually without unnecessary hiccups and problems. Tour managers typically work as independent contractors offering their services to different artists each year, but some have been known to stick with only one artist for the entirety of their career.

What are the Specific Jobs of a Tour Manager?

The tour manager handles both administrative and organizational duties, and to make sure everyone is satisfied, may even take care of the personal issues of other crew members or artists on tour.

The job of a tour manager can involve event coordination, accounting, travel and logistics coordination, operations, merchandise sales and ticketing settlement, human resources, and sometimes tour managers can even take on the role of a personal assistant. To be a good tour manager, one needs to be detail oriented, but also able to see the full vision of what the artist is trying to create.

Because a lot of the characteristics of tour manager transfer over to artist management, there are cases where the tour manager also doubles as the band manager. Often on smaller tours, the tour manager may be acting in a double role as not only a tour manager, but also a sound engineer, a driver, a merchandise manager, or other crew position.

Some specific responsibilities of a tour manager may include:

Creating a tour budget

Advancing and preparing all the details for each show

Securing and managing of all income and expenses during the tour

Overseeing other production elements like lighting, sound, publicity, and even selling of merchandise during the tour

Booking and coordinating all ground transportation, flights, hotels

Overseeing or directly handling the transportation of all VIPs and crew

Creating a security plan for each venue and public appearance

Working closely with publicists, show promoters, venue managers, ticketing agencies, etc.

Ability to solve extreme problems. Like unexpected issues that may arise during touring - (medical, security, travel, contractual)

Leading a team of varying size to execute each event

On larger or longer tours, the duties above may be shared between two or more people.

Completely outlining the specific duties of a tour manager can be near impossible as there are countless scenarios on the road that beg the tour manager's attention.

Ultimately, the job of the tour manager is to make sure that everyone, including the artist, is okay and happy while on the road. Tour management can be both fun and stressful, but can also be very rewarding as it is crucial to the success of an artist’s touring career.

In our How to be a Tour Manager online course we teach our students that though there are so many tasks a tour manager has to accomplish, there is one thing you must do first.

You have to take care of yourself before you take care of others. Just like on a plane when you put your mask on first before helping others - same concept. Your mental health is extremely important, and denying self care on the road is a recipe for a quick death to your career.

You can start our tour management course for free by clicking here.

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Prince’s ‘Musicology’ at 20: A Look at the Album, Tour and Year That Saved His Career

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

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Prince had been at a crossroads before, but never like he was at the beginning of 2004.

So, as he had with “Diamonds and Pearls” when he was in a similar place in the early ‘90s, he decided to play the game and show everybody just who they were dealing with.

On February 8, he opened the 2004 Grammy Awards with a five-minute medley of “Purple Rain,” “Baby I’m a Star” and “Let’s Go Crazy” — with Beyonce — that may be the greatest opening to a music-awards show in television history. Two weeks later, he announced his first major tour in six years, noting that he’d be playing his hits again. “It’s older music, but it’s going to be played in a newer way,” he said, teasing that it might be the last time he played those songs in concert (it wasn’t). Then in March, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he played a different, much longer medley of his hits during the ceremony — but of course what everyone remembers is his show-stealing solo during the all-star George Harrison tribute, which he finished by throwing his guitar into the audience.

Musically, “Musicology” was a return to accessibility. And although it didn’t reach the peaks of his classic ‘80s material — to be fair, not much music does — it was a vivid sampler of his musical styles that marked the return of the Prince that people knew and loved. It also was a genuine hit: The ticket-CD bundle helped loft the album to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, but it was top 5 in multiple countries all over the world without that boost, even though it didn’t have a big hit single. Recorded over several years, “Musicology”’s musical baseline is the brand of lean funk Prince was raised on — he even shouts out Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown and others in the album’s lead-off title track, which concludes with brief, scratchy recordings of some of his own hits in a mock scanning-the-radio-dial segment. There are a couple of “Do Me, Baby”-styled bedroom ballads, bombastic rock (“A Million Days”), even the new wave pop he hadn’t done since “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” on “Cinnamon Girl,” complete with splashes of vintage synthesizers. It winds down with a sultry, slow-burning burst of Aretha on the soulfully bluesy “On the Couch” and concludes with the breezy “Reflection.”

Even though Prince’s musicianship was at a new peak — his blazing guitar work, multi-tracked harmonies, production and arranging show an artist at the top of his craft — he was making music that was easy to like again, which isn’t to say it was simple; but even at its most sophisticated and complex (like the jazzy interlude at the end of “If I Was the Man in Ur Life”), it went down more smoothly. Indeed, the only area where “Musicology” fell flat is in the lyrics, which, like much of Prince’s later material, could be shockingly insipid. In particular, the album’s catchiest track, “Life of the Party,” is marred by lyrics so tossed-off that it sounds like they were written off the top of his head. (“So you’re havin’ a party?/ Goody for you/ All the beautiful people gonna be there/ Yeah, that’s cool.”) Even when he tried gravitas — about politics, war, global warming and moral decay on “Dear Mr. Man” — it wasn’t much better.

Prince was not an artist who’d ever lacked confidence, but by the end of 2004, the full swagger was back in his step. He’d significantly increased his wealth: The tour grossed nearly $90 million, the album was certified double platinum in the U.S. early in 2005, and it spurred sales of his entire catalog in an era when most people still bought CDs. But more importantly, it also marked the return of the Prince people knew, one who wasn’t completely refusing to be who he’d been, and not just musically: The weird outfits and otherworldly hairstyles had been replaced by sleek, classy suits and a short, trim cut.

The year’s creative efforts also gave him a model for how to pursue the rest of his career. Any time he wanted another million (or ten), he’d hit the road in some new and unusual way. Over the following years he played everything from a months-long Las Vegas residency to a premium-price one at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood; from a series of 21 dates at London’s Wembley Arena to a handful of shows in specific regions of the U.S. — even the Carolinas. He played brief “Hit and Run” tours that were announced just days before they launched; and of course he staged what is universally considered to be the greatest Super Bowl Halftime performance of all time in 2007. By contrast, his last tour, shortly before his death in 2016, was just him accompanying himself on piano. He kept finding new ways to keep himself interested.

And although he wouldn’t again reach the upper echelons of the charts in his lifetime and his albums continued to be frustratingly hit-or-miss, his sense of innovation returned with “3121,” the album that followed “Musicology” — on it, fans of “Sign O’ the Times,” which many regard as the peak of his creativity, could find much to grab onto, at least for the first half of the album. Unfortunately, most of the other albums he released in these years were maddeningly inconsistent (and sometimes appallingly bad) but although you won’t find any hidden “Purple Rain”s, there are overlooked gems to be found on many of them — like “Lavaux” and “Laydown” from “20Ten” (the latter of which features the priceless line, “from the heart of Minnesota/ Here come the purple Yoda”), and “Better With Time” and especially “ Ol’ Skool Company ” from “MPLSoUND.” Every once in a while on those albums and others, the Prince you love pops up with something so great it’s as if he’d never gone anywhere. And that’s really the gift of his scattershot, impossibly vast musical output — even though he’s no longer here, there’ll always be something new to find.

“Musicology” was the end of Prince’s wilderness years, and in every way, it set him up for the remaining dozen years of his much-too-brief life.

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ATEEZ announces 2024 world tour, Citi Field concert. Get tickets today

After teasing a tour for months, ATEEZ has finally made good on its promise.

The beloved Hip-Hop/K-Pop group just announced they’ll play stadiums and arenas all over North America this July and August on their ten-concert ‘TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER’ tour.

Midway through the run, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho stop at New York’s Citi Field on Saturday, Aug. 3.

This quick summer tour comes on the heels of the octet’s historic Coachella performance where they became the first K-Pop boy band to perform at the multi-weekend festival.

“We used the best songs,” San said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter .

And if you’re an ATINY who can’t wait to hear ATEEZ’s best songs live, tickets for all concerts can be yours as soon as today.

Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Friday, May 3, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.

Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.

A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues, and links to buy tickets can be found below.

On Feb. 4, ATEEZ performed at Saitama, Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.

According to Set List FM , here’s what the group took to the stage that night:

01.) “Crazy Form”

02.) “Say My Name”

04.) “This World”

05.) “Wake Up”

06.) “Guerrilla” (Flag version)

07.) “(Mingi’s solo rap)”

08.) “Cyberpunk”

09.) “Deja Vu”

10.) “IT’s You”

11.) “Youth”

12.) “Everything”

13.) “Silver Light”

14.) “Crescent Part 2”

15.) “Wave”

16.) “Dancing Like Butterfly Wings”

17.) “MATZ”

18.) “ARRIBA”

19.) “DJANGO”

20.) “BOUNCY (K‐HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)”

21.) “Wonderland” (Symphony No.9 version)

22.) “Dreamy Day”

23.) “Eternal Sunshine”

24.) “Fireworks (I’m The One)”

25.) “The Real” (Heung version)

26.) “Turbulence”

27.) “Utopia”

In late May, the band will drop the EP “Golden Hour: Part 1.”

While fans wait, their entire discography — including the recently released 15-minute EP “NOT OKAY” — can be streamed here .

On Sunday, April 21, ATEEZ’s Yunho threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game.

Highlights from the band’s day at Dodger Stadium can be seen below.

Many of K-Pop’s biggest groups are headed stateside this year.

Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live these next few months.

• Tomorrow X Together

• IU aka Lee Ji-eun

• Enhypen

• Itzy

• P1Harmony

Who else is on the road? Check out our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2024 to find out.

This article was written by Matt Levy , New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements for your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed Bruce Springsteen and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase.

ATEEZ announces 2024 world tour, Citi Field concert. Get tickets today

RBC Heritage: Final round suspended due to darkness, Monday finish underway at Harbour Town

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Updated: Monday, April 22, 8 a.m. ET: The final round of the RBC Heritage resumed at 8 a.m. ET.

Scheffler, chasing his fourth PGA TOUR win in five starts, authored a signature moment in the waning twilight Sunday, recovering from a hooked 4-iron second shot on the par-4 15th with a sorcerous wedge to 11 feet that he converted for an unlikely par to maintain a five-stroke lead over Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, J.T. Poston and Sahith Theegala.

Scheffler, chasing his fourth PGA TOUR win in five starts, stood 20 under for the tournament as the final round was suspended due to darkness at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, with nine players yet to complete the final round on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

This will be the second unscheduled Monday finish on the PGA TOUR this season and first since the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, won by Austin Eckroat. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, won by Wyndham Clark, was shortened to 54 holes after play was unable to be contested on Sunday and Monday.

Sunday’s play at Harbour Town was initially suspended at 4:28 p.m. due to lightning in the area. The final pairing of Scheffler and Sepp Straka had completed 11 holes at the time. Players were removed from the course, with the delay ultimately lasting 2 hours and 32 minutes before play resumed at 7 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler's masterful par save at RBC Heritage

Updated: Sunday, April 21, 7 p.m. ET: The final round of the RBC Heritage resumes at 7 p.m. ET.

Updated: Sunday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. ET: The final round of the RBC Heritage will resume at 7 p.m. ET.

Updated: Sunday, April 21, 5:40 p.m. ET: The final round of the RBC Heritage will not resume at 6 p.m. ET.

Updated: Sunday, April 21, 5:28 p.m. ET: The final round of the RBC Heritage is scheduled to resume at 6 p.m. ET.

Updated: Sunday, April 21, 4:28 p.m. ET: The RBC Heritage’s final round has been suspended due to lightning in the area, with the final groups playing the back nine Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Play was suspended at 4:28 p.m. local time, with leader Scottie Scheffler playing the 12th hole. Players were taken off the course at the time of suspension.

Scheffler began the final round at 16 under, one stroke clear of Sepp Straka, and the world No. 1 turned in 3-under 33 with a chip-in eagle at the par-5 second, a two-putt birdie at the par-5 fifth and seven pars. Scheffler stood 19 under, four strokes clear of the field at the time of delay. Seven players stood 15 under.

“We were hoping to play through this; we felt like we had another 25 minutes left of this heavy rain and were then going to get a break on the back end,” said Mark Dusbabek, the PGA TOUR’s senior director lead TV Rules & Video Analyst, on the CBS broadcast. “We had lightning unfortunately pop up 4 miles away; just suddenly caught us in, so we had to stop play for this. We’re going to see how things go here and make a decision.

"The course was not unplayable. It wasn't because of the rain. It was just because the lightning popped up."

The final round of the RBC Heritage is poised to deliver fans a fantastic finish, but that might not come without a little bit of weather late in the day.

After the first three rounds of tournament golf at Harbour Town Golf Links were accompanied by sunshine and temperatures ranging from the upper 70s into the mid-80s, Sunday could bring golfers a different challenge to navigate as the tournament comes to a close.

According to the forecast, a cold front will be slowly moving southward into the Hilton Head Island area on Sunday, increasing the chances for showers and a few thunderstorms as play gets into the early to mid-afternoon hours and continuing into the evening hours. Storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Otherwise, Sunday morning will remain dry with temperatures warming into the mid to upper 70s before falling into the 60s late in the day. Light wind Sunday morning will increase out of the north 10-15 gusting to 20-25 mph late in the day.

The final pairing of the day, Scottie Scheffler and Sepp Straka, are set to tee off at 1:55 p.m. ET. Scheffler holds a one-stroke lead at 16-under.

Kyle Rittenhouse, deadly shooter, college speaker? A campus gun-rights tour sparks outrage

Kyle Rittenhouse is not a typical college campus speaker.

In 2020, at the age of 17, he took an AR-15-style rifle to a Black Lives Matter demonstration and fired it, killing two people and injuring a third. Rittenhouse said he pulled the trigger in self-defense and was acquitted of wrongdoing .

He has since penned a book, “Acquitted,” and has set out on a series of college speaking events dubbed the " Rittenhouse Recap ." He is slated to appear Thursday at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Rittenhouse is selling books, and ostensibly promoting the right to bear arms on campus, but he’s also trying to persuade young people to join the conservative movement. The key group behind the appearances, Turning Point USA, is led by the self-described “youth director” of President Donald Trump’s first campaign and a key ally rallying votes for Trump this year.

The group told USA TODAY that it isn’t a nationally organized tour – that its chapters independently requested Rittenhouse. Student chapter leaders told USA TODAY that Rittenhouse is an important conversation starter. “I think sometimes you have to be kind of polarizing to pull a crowd," said Brady Seymour, president of Turning Point USA's chapter at Kent State University in Ohio.

The provocative choice of backing the Rittenhouse tour is par for the course for Turning Point and its local affiliates, which have hosted controversial figures like Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist and Holocaust denier . But it has stirred up devastating pain and disdain in a man he almost killed.

"He has used every moment to gloat and to make light of taking life," Paul Prediger said, speaking publicly for the first time about what happened in protest of a Rittenhouse speech last week at Kent State. "As if that were not enough, Kyle has embraced and been embraced by those who peddle hateful rhetoric, who believe in nationalism that excludes those who do not look like or think like them, and who have sought to amplify a troubling desire for violence against supposed political, cultural, and religious enemies."

Rittenhouse's message on his campus tour – that students should be allowed to take up arms, including to fend off "these Hamas, Palestinian terrorists" if they invade dormitories – has sparked protests and raised questions about free speech and just how far it should be allowed to go. A similar question helped lead to the resignations of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University , who stepped down amid fierce criticism for equivocating when asked if calls for the genocide of Jews would be allowed on campus.

Rittenhouse, in a statement provided by spokesperson Jillian Anderson, said his campus appearances are not part of an official tour or book-selling venture, and he is reminding students of their rights. "Every American has a constitutional right to bear arms," he said, "and it should not be infringed by a college campus."

Experts say context matters. Tom Ginsburg, a law professor at the University of Chicago and faculty director of the forum on free inquiry and expression, told USA TODAY that federal regulations require colleges and universities to ensure their learning environment is not hostile. Within that framework, some incendiary language could be permitted in a general public space but prohibited if directed at an individual or group.

"That's a key distinction," he said. "Is it said in general, as part of a general demonstration, or is it shouted at a particular group of people who might then reasonably perceive it as being a threat of some kind? And if it's the latter, then it could be punished."

Kyle Rittenhouse says students should carry guns on campus

On the evening of Aug. 25, 2020 , Rittenhouse brought a rifle to the site of intense protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. Amid a scuffle with protesters, Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Prediger.

In a trial that drew national attention in 2021, Rittenhouse said he shot the men in self-defense after Rosenbaum threatened his life and Prediger pointed a gun at him. Prediger said he thought Rittenhouse was an active shooter. Critics said Rittenhouse had no right to fire his weapon and was illegally acting as a vigilante militia. A jury acquitted him of all five charges he faced, including intentional homicide.

Rittenhouse soon took on celebrity status in right-wing circles where the right to bear arms and use them to defend life and property is sacrosanct. The weekend after his trial, he flew to Florida to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort and to appear on Fox News for an interview with conservative host Tucker Carlson.

At Kent State, Rittenhouse implored students to fight to be allowed to carry guns at school.

"We have these blue boxes that are on the campus – we've all seen them, you push a button, it calls the police, and you get connected to a dispatcher," he said. "How long does it take a cop to show up, though? When somebody is trying to kidnap you or somebody is threatening your life, is that the quickest option to be able to protect yourself?"

He encouraged students to join conservative groups like Turning Point USA and said elected officials don't care about them.

"What makes me really scared, and I get really upset that people, especially young campus students, aren't allowed to carry firearms, just because I'm scared that what happens if these Hamas, Palestinian terrorists come to the U.S. and try to attack us?" Rittenhouse said. "Are we supposed to be left defenseless? Are you supposed to be left defenseless because you're not allowed to have a gun in your dormitory?"

After Prediger – formerly known as Gaige Grosskreutz – criticized his speaking tour, Rittenhouse posted a video clip on X, formerly Twitter. It showed Prediger admitting he pointed a gun in Rittenhouse's direction before being shot. Rittenhouse did not include text in the post.

Students accuse Turning Point of 'hateful actions'

In the days leading up to his arrival at Kent State, demonstrators staged a walkout, organized a vigil, and spray painted "Welcome, killer" on a free-speech landmark. A Change.org petition urging the university and Turning Point USA to cancel Rittenhouse's visit gathered more than 3,700 signatures. The event spurred Prediger to speak out. Hundreds showed up to protest.

"I stand with the students of Kent State University who have had enough," Prediger said.

Students said it was particularly insensitive for the campus to host Rittenhouse and his message about guns on campus given the school's history. On May 4, 1970, four students were gunned down at Kent State when the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd gathered to protest the invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War.

Aimée Flores, a representative from the university's Spanish and Latine Student Association, said the organization encouraged students "to learn more about Turning Point USA.... their hateful actions on campus and throughout this whole year, why we don't agree with their actions."

Seymour, the school's Turning Point chapter president, said the event was about "creating conversation." It had no relation to the 1970 killing of protestors, he said.

"In his speech, he talked mostly about having the right to carry on campus, considering students aren't allowed to at Kent State," Seymour said.

"These two stories are completely different and 50 years apart," he said.

Protests at every campus on 'Rittenhouse Recap' tour

Other “Rittenhouse Recap” appearances prompted vocal opposition and protest.

At Western Kentucky University , protesters held a sit-in and march last month. His appearance at East Tennessee State University in February also sparked demonstrations – local press reports show one protester wielding a sign accusing Turning Point of empowering "stochastic terrorism" – the incitement of violence through public demonization of a person or group.

In the days leading up to Rittenhouse's appearance at The University of Memphis in March, the school fielded a barrage of complaints from students, faculty, and community members. Protesters held signs with messages like, “Put Rittenhouse behind bars, not a podium.” Rittenhouse abruptly left the stage after about 30 minutes as protesters shouted him down.

Universities said allowing the events – and the protests – upholds key tenets of American democracy and academic tradition: Free speech and freedom of assembly. Turning Point USA’s chapter at The University of Memphis is a registered student organization, the school said.

"We cannot ban speech because it would go against a core value and because of well-established laws governing free speech on public university campuses,” Kent State said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. “Upholding the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful assembly for all, the university has a long history of allowing peaceful dialogue from all points of view, including those whom some may feel are offering different and/or sometimes controversial opinions."

Turning Point has history of booking controversial speakers

Turning Point USA has a track record of booking controversial and provocative figures, placing it at the center of debates over First Amendment rights on college campuses, where it says it has grown to more than 800 chapters since its founding in 2012.

In late 2016 and early 2017, the group was behind a nationwide campus speaking tour by Milo Yiannopoulos – a former Breitbart writer banned from Twitter for harassment and dropped from the agenda at a Conservative Political Action Conference after videos surfaced of him defending sexual relationships between 13-year-old boys and grown men. Yiannopoulos said he was joking and may have used "imprecise language."

In 2019, Turning Point’s Iowa State University chapter claimed partial responsibility for extending a speaking invitation to Fuentes, a white nationalist who has said he wants a "total Aryan victory" and self-identified as a "sexist man," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Last year, representatives of the group confronted, criticized and assaulted an LGBTQ+ instructor at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Turning Point has taken action against members for promoting hate speech. In 2019, the group expelled a member at the University of Nevada Las Vegas after a video surfaced of the student shouting "white power" and using a white supremacist hand sign.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, said the Fuentes event was not sanctioned, and a local chapter official was tricked into arranging the appearance. He said that Turning Points has repeatedly denounced white nationalism . Kolvet said that in general, students should be able to hear from controversial speakers. "We do our best to make sure that there's going to be enriching discussion, that the speaker is going to be, I would say, uplifting, inspiring, productive."

He said Turning Point chapters chose Rittenhouse as a speaker. "There just happened to be schools that asked for Kyle because he came out with a book and he made himself available, essentially."

Turning Point touts itself as a key player in conservative politics , as does its founder and president, Charlie Kirk , who told conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh 's show in 2019 that he “traveled the country for about 70 days straight carrying Donald Trump Jr.’s bags and getting his Diet Cokes.” In addition to becoming Trump Jr.'s "body man," he took on the role of "youth director of the campaign," Kirk said. Speaking at the Republican National Convention in 2020, he called President Trump the "bodyguard of Western civilization."

Kirk also speaks on college campuses, where his fiery rhetoric has sparked controversy. At a speech last fall at Missouri State University , he said all immigration to the U.S. should be halted, called global warming an "academic distraction," and speculated about how many Hamas sleeper cells might be active in the U.S.

Expert says universities grappling with non-academic provocateurs

Ginsburg stressed that colleges and universities must allow free speech. "It’s pretty clear that their obligation is to make sure that event goes forward and to make sure it's not disrupted," he said. "At the same time, peaceful protest also has a long tradition on campus."

Ginsburg said an added dimension to their challenges is the more recent phenomenon of campus speakers who intentionally draw negative attention.

"What we're now seeing is that people are sometimes getting invited to campus who aren't necessarily academics. They're not articulating a truly academic point of view," Ginsburg said. "In some cases, we have provocateurs, including some people who actually are seeking to be canceled, seeking to be protested."

He said people like Rittenhouse often capitalize on controversy. "He's certainly part of a media ecosystem in which you do have some of those kind of characters where, if you can get canceled, it ups your follower rate and you can portray yourself as a victim," he said.

To the Turning Point leader at Kent State, it's a tactic the group uses to advance conversation.

"That's the sad reality of how people are," Seymour said. "You kind of have to stir up drama or be a polarizing character for people to end up paying attention to you."

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her by email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

Are Tour Edge Golf Clubs Good? 4 Things You Must Know

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Table of Contents

A common question that often comes up…. Are Tour Edge golf clubs good as industry-leading manufacturers such as Titleist, Callaway , or TaylorMade? Let us help. ..

Tour Edge has been manufacturing world-class golf clubs since the 80s. They consistently rank among the top ten manufacturers. Around 129 players from various world tours use Tour Edge clubs and have won 12 tournaments using them.

But why is Tour Edge unheard of? Do they need to improve in any areas of the game? Are Tour Edge clubs for everyone or a specific demographic like juniors/seniors/ladies? This article will answer these questions and give a brief overview of the best-selling golf products by Tour Edge.

If you’re considering switching to these clubs, this article is especially for you. So make sure to give it a thorough read!

The Tour Edge Story

David Glod founded Tour Edge in 1986, operating out of Chicago. David is a former golf professional at the Village Links Golf Club , Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

David created the brand when he identified a need for affordable and high-quality golf products .

At the time, no golf club manufacturers in the US or abroad provided good quality, technologically advanced golf equipment at an affordable price. David believed this could be done.

His first golf club was designed in 1987 , and from there, he kept going, never looking back.

Today, Glod is known as one of the best, preeminent golf club designers who has led his company, year in and year out, to be among the top golf club manufacturers in every category, be it drivers, irons, wedges, or putters.

Professional Golf: Tour Edge By The Numbers

Professional golfers at every Major Championship and several Ryder Cups have played with Tour Edge golf clubs.

Tour Pros That Use Tour Edge Golf Clubs

Currently, over a hundred tour professional golfers use Tour Edge. The most mention-worthy are:

Bernhard Langer
Scott McCarron
Tim Petrovic
Duffy Waldorf
Steve Alker

⛳️ Read Next: Ultimate Guide to the Senior Golf Tour: 5 Major Tournaments

Tour Edge Exotics Golf Clubs

The brand’s Tour validation began with the launch of its Exotics Club line in 2005.

Many Tour players started using the Exotics line of clubs without receiving endorsements from Tour Edge. Eventually, the brand ended up winning ten events on the PGA Tour.

Tour Edge golf clubs have been used to win 19 professional victories on the PGA Tour. which includes the PGA Champions Tour as well.

Most recently, there have been over 3400 Tour Edge clubs used by over 160 PGA Tour pros.

In this timeframe, they’ve accumulated 19 wins, over 110 Top 5’s and another 253 Top 10 finishes.

Here’s a table of Tour Edge Professional Golf stats.

🏌️‍♂️ Read Next: Bernhard Langer’s Tour Edge Golf Clubs – WITB

4 Things That Make Tour Edge a Great Golf Club Manufacturer

Here are some of the major factors that make Tour Edge one of the leading golf club manufacturers in the industry.

1. Preferred By PGA Professional Golfers

Tour Edge clubs are among the best in the golf club manufacturing business and are preferred by golfers of all skill levels, whether professionals or beginners.

That’s what is so unique and impressive about them: they’re providing quality golf clubs to golfers of different skills and abilities. Tour Edge will not only be found in use at Augusta National during the Masters Tournament but at your local public golf course as well!

When it comes to the club’s Tour preference, the fantastic thing about Tour Edge is that it doesn’t pay any players to use its golf clubs. Professional golfers seek them out because of how well these golf clubs perform!

2. Value For Money

Tour Edge golf clubs can be bought as individual clubs or a whole set. Buying them as a group offers excellent value for money.

Buying Tour Edge is almost a hack compared to other big golf equipment names because its quality clubs will perform at par with the other brands but at a fraction of the price!

3. Still Made In USA

Tour Edge golf clubs are, and always have been, manufactured in the United States.

This unique side of the brand separates it from other big names who’ve outsourced their manufacturing, partly or entirely, to another country, usually China, where labor and other manufacturing organs are cheaper than in the United States.

Since the company’s inception in 1986, Tour Edge has kept its golf clubs’ manufacturing at its headquarters in Illinois. Every club is hand-crafted , which most golf club manufacturers can’t brag about.

4. Lifetime Guaranteed Clubs

Another attribute that sets Golf Edge apart from the rest is that they provide a lifetime guarantee for each of their clubs. This means the clubs can be redeemed if they snap at the shaft or the clubhead somehow gets damaged. This creates reliability for the customer and reflects the brand’s confidence in its clubs.

The Best Selling Tour Edge Golf Clubs

Tour Edge is known chiefly for manufacturing golf clubs that are easy to hit and forgiving in nature. These clubs are especially suitable for juniors, seniors, lady golfers, and high-handicapped golfers . This is mainly because of how easy they launch and how much forgiveness these clubs allow.

Let’s take a look at some of the hottest clubs on the Tour Edge line, what their selling points are and how you could benefit from them.

Tour Edge Exotics E722 Driver

Updated on 2024-04-26

Tour Edge Driver

The Tour Edge Exotics E722 Driver comes in various lofts (10.5 degrees being the most wanted).

It has a low center of gravity and it’s in the rear end of the club. It has an adjustable hosel and it also has RidgeBack technology.

The low center of gravity promotes a higher ball launch. The RidgeBack technology keeps the clubhead stable and provides a straighter ball trajectory.

Higher launch angle
Straighter ball trajectory
Forgiveness on off-center hits
Adjustable hosel
Relatively expensive
Lower offset compared to other models causing increased side spin on mishits

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Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Irons Set

Tour Edge Irons

This iron set from Tour Edge comprises a 4-iron to pitching wedge (7 clubs) set.

Each individual club consists of a hollow club head fitted with a Houdini sole and weighted at the perimeters. The shallow face features an offset design for more forgiveness.

The Houdini sole minimizes the clubhead’s turf interaction to promote a high launch angle. The weighted perimeter of the club head allows for much forgiveness and stabilizes the club head through impact.

These irons are ideal for golfers who slice the ball as the offset design controls the sidespin imparted on the ball, giving you a straighter trajectory.

The shallow lie angle promotes velocity, launching the ball high even with slow swing speeds.

In short : You get forgiving irons that help with slices and launch your ball high.

Forgiving golf clubs
Fights side-spin, giving slicers a straighter shot
Minimal turf interaction
High launch and trajectory
Chunky design not very appealing to low and mid handicappers
Limits shot-making ability

Tour Edge TGS 3 Piece Wedge Set

These triple-grind wedges lower the club’s bounce right from the heel to the toe.

A TPE sole insert absorbs any shocks and softens the overall feel, adding to supreme greenside action for the average golfer.

The U-shaped grooves grip the golf ball’s cover like no other, imparting some serious spin that enables the ball to stop where it drops or, better still, zip back towards the flagstick just like on TV!

Amazingly soft
Brilliant sole design
Crazy spin
Affordable price point
Thick appearance
Only one grind option

Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 Hybrid

The Hot Launch line of clubs by Tour Edge has a lower price range when compared to their Exotics range of clubs.

But the low price tag doesn’t mean any compromise on performance. Quite the opposite, the 360-cup design, combined with a power channel directly behind the clubface, gives you the sweetest impact and most incredible forgiveness you can expect from any hybrid.

Besides this, getting the ball in the air with this club is incredibly easy, thanks to a weight positioned at the back of the clubface that extends the CG much lower and deeper. This also enables more forgiveness on off-center hits.

The light Fubuki shaft suits it for slow to moderate swing speeds .

Easy to get the golf ball in the air
Uncompromised performance at a low price
Fubuki shaft too soft for fast swing speeds

Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 Fairway Woods

Fairway Woods

These fairway woods by Tour Edge are exceptional in quality and performance. The best part is you can find multiple shaft flex to suit your swing.

Here’s a table of different fairway woods and their loft angles.

These fairway woods have a great feel and give a high launch angle which is exactly what any golfer needs in a fairway wood.

Headcover included
Great performance
Multiple shaft flex options
Not for high handicapper
Limited workability

Tour Edge Exotics Wingman II Putter

This brilliant putter provides exceptional forgiveness , especially on off-center putts. It’s recommended explicitly for golfers looking to drastically improve their putting and those looking to sink more putts in general.

The carbon-fiber sole distributes the weight of the club out to its perimeters which helps the putter flow more smoothly through the ball.

The micro-grooves on the face help get the ball rolling more consistently, which means the ball will stay on line and roll straight into the center of the cup!

Face insert promotes smoother roll
Putting stroke may sound a bit clicky at first

How Do Tour Edge Clubs Compare Against Other Top Brands?

The answer to that question depends entirely on the individual golfer’s abilities and needs. Tour Edge clubs are designed to cater primarily to the needs of mid to high handicappers, seniors, juniors, and ladies.

These golfers comprise a massive chunk of the golfers around the world, and the top brands such as Titleist or TaylorMade aren’t all that focused on meeting the needs of these golfers.

So, in regard to what the weekend warriors and other seasonal golfers have to say about these clubs, they’re very much up there with the best.

Consequently, as far as top-tier performance is concerned, Tour Edge may be lacking in certain areas of the game.

A classic example can be the limited workability of the golf club. Too much forgiveness always translates to too little versatility when it comes to golf club manufacturing.

Players with a high ball and clubhead speeds would find these clubs unacceptable because they’re not looking for forgiveness. They’re looking for cutting-edge technology that can handle their speeds and translate them into performance.

Why Are Tour Edge Clubs Relatively Unheard Of?

The clubs that get advertised most are the ones most frequently used to win a tournament on the PGA Tour. Tour validation is critical regarding how much a golf product sells.

The most remarkable example that demonstrates this point is that of Nike. The brand took off and crashed on more or less the same trajectory as Tiger Woods’ career.

He single-handedly took Nike to the top of the golf equipment industry simply because he attained success on the PGA Tour like few others.

Bridgestone is the latest brand to skyrocket in popularity and sales due to a player’s endorsement and use of it. Again, it’s the ‘GOAT’ Tiger Woods, who has enabled all this.

With Tour Edge, the story gets complicated. Although it does have Tour validation, and a handful of big names play with Tour Edge equipment, it still needs to have that kind of clout to be a front-runner.

Final Thoughts: Are Tour Edge Golf Clubs Good?

Tour Edge golf clubs are, without a doubt, one of the very best golf clubs on the market today.

These golf clubs are especially recommended for high handicappers, ladies, juniors, and seniors because they’re designed with those demographics in mind.

Their quality is exceeded only by their affordability, which is quite something in the expensive game of golf. Tour Edge has broken the stereotypical mindset that top quality always comes with top dollar.

Before You Go…

If you enjoyed this article, check out several of my recent articles that may interest you next:

The 10 Straightest Golf Balls to Instantly Improve Your Game

The 5 Best Golf Club Storage Racks & Organizers
Chipper Vs Wedge: Critical Differences Golfers Must Know
The 13 Best Putters for Seniors To Shave Strokes Today!
9 Best 14 Slot Golf Bags + Top Tips for Bag Organization

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